Scenes From a Marriage
by iwannagibbs
Summary: JIBBS--A few short stories from the married life of Jen and Gibbs. FINAL scene added--Please Don't Break My Heart.
1. Chapter 1

Usual disclaimers apply.

A/N: A few short pieces looking at Jen and Gibbs as a married couple. Three are written so far and hopefully more will pop into my head in the coming weeks.

**Scenes from a Marriage**

**I. Charming**

NCIS Director Jennifer Sheppard stepped out of her office and onto the catwalk above the bullpen area looking for Special Agent Jethro Gibbs' team. As she was registering that they were still not back from the field, the elevator pinged below her and Gibbs' team straggled out. Agents Tony DiNozzo and Tim McGee and Mossad Officer Ziva David each looked quite a bit worse for the wear. They looked like they had been in pretty serious scuffle; their clothes were torn and they each seemed to be nursing a different sore body part. As she watched the team make their way to their respective desks she noted with some concern that Agent Gibbs was not with them.

Jen descended the stairs and went to the bullpen. Standing in front of DiNozzo's desk she asked him, "Where is Gibbs?"

"Uh, well, Director, Gibbs said to tell you he would see you at home." Tony was mumbling and trying his best to avoid looking at his Director.

"That isn't what I asked you Tony. Where is Jethro now?" There was just the tiniest bit of worry creeping into her head and her heart but she knew if anything was seriously wrong she would have been called. Still, she worried.

Ziva took pity on her partner and answered for Tony, after all she hadn't promised Gibbs not to tell Jen he was injured. "Gibbs is most likely on his way home now Director. Ducky is with him. He sustained some minor injuries during the arrest and Ducky insisted he be checked out at the ER."

"Thank you Ziva. Don't worry Tony, I will tell Jethro you kept your promise. Now the three of you go home unless there is something urgent you need to finish here."

Tony sighed in relief and tried to reassure his bosses' boss, "Really he's fine. Just a few bumps and bruises I think. Goodnight Director."

"Goodnight to all of you and good work. I will see you on Monday."

Jen returned to her office to gather her belongings. When she came back out a few minutes later the team had dispersed. She took the elevator down to the parking garage where her driver was waiting. On the drive home, Jen wondered about Jethro's injuries. They may be minor but they obviously were not completely inconsequential or Jethro would never have agreed to go to the hospital even for a quick checkup in the ER. Sighing she leaned back into the seat telling herself she would know soon enough.

Entering the house, Jen was greeted by her housekeeper, Noemi, who took her briefcase and said softly, "Senor Gibbs is outside in the hot tub. He is hurt a little bit I think."

Despite her singular and unwavering loyalty to Jen, Noemi had a very large soft spot for Jethro and Jen could see the concern in her eyes. "I'm sure he'll be okay, Noemi. I'll go out and see what's going on. Is Dr. Mallard still here?"

" No, the doctor left a few minutes ago. I fixed Senor Gibbs' favorite, chicken enchiladas, they are in the oven. They will be ready in about one half hour, Senora. Tell Senor Gibbs I hope he feels better."

Jen hugged her friend and said, "Thank you so much Noemi. Don't worry he'll be fine and the enchiladas will definitely help. Goodnight. Have a good weekend."

"Goodnight Senora."

Jen decided to join Jethro in the hot tub so she went upstairs to change into a bathing suit. A few minutes later she took two Coronas out of the fridge on her way to the back deck. Stepping outside she took a moment to watch Jethro as he sat soaking in the tub. He was obviously in some pain and his face definitely showed the effects of being hit or kicked in the head.

Even without opening his eyes Jethro knew Jen was watching him. He tried to sound reassuring when he said, "Hey, babe. Don't worry, it looks worse than it is, I promise."

"Jethro what happened?" By now Jen had joined him in the spa and leaned into him gently kissing him on the mouth.

"Just some bad guys who didn't want to get arrested. You know how it goes. I'm okay really."

Jen sat down next to him and turned his face to get a better look at the damage. "That is a pretty nasty bruise Jethro, what the hell happened? And why are you rubbing your knee?"

"Did DiNozzo tell you I was hurt?" He was obviously avoiding her question but that wouldn't last for long.

"No, he kept his promise to you. Ziva told me. Now, stop being evasive and just tell me what happened. I'll read it in the reports anyway."

Jethro reached for her nuzzling her neck and leaving a trail of soft kisses along her jaw. "Well then why don't you just wait for the written version. We could do something else now." His hands were making their way to the tie at the back of her bathing suit top as his mouth was about descend on hers.

Jen gave up and gave in to the kiss; why not, there was plenty of time to get the truth out of him later. She didn't let him take her top off though; dinner was going to be ready in a few minutes and she didn't want to have to stop in the middle of something to get out and go in the kitchen. In order to prevent having to wrestle with him, Jen moved to the other side of the spa and settled back letting the hot water and the jets relax her.

"Just enjoy your beer Jethro. You aren't taking pain meds are you?"

"No, they gave me some for the knee but I haven't taken any yet. Why are you sitting way over there?"

"I'm less than three feet away Jethro, that hardly qualifies as 'way over there'". I'm over here because Noemi left chicken enchiladas in the oven for you and they will be ready in a few minutes. I don't want to get something started with you that we can't finish."

"I'm sure glad Noemi loves me like she does" Jethro said between swallows of his beer.

"Yes me too. She never used to make them for me. Now tell me what happened to your leg and your handsome face."

"One of the guys we were looking for hit the side of my knee with a two by four as I went in the door. Ziva jumped him and then the other bad guy came in and Tony got him and the next thing I knew it was like a dog pile and I was on the bottom. Actually I think it was Ziva's knee that got me in the eye but don't tell her that. Ducky wanted me to get the eye checked out and they said it was fine. The knee isn't really damaged, just damn sore."

Jen looked at him and didn't say anything for a long time. Every time she got a call to the hospital or saw him dragging into the office with a new cut or bruise a little bit of her heart got ripped out. She was asking herself all the time these days how much longer she could do it. But really what choice did she have? She certainly didn't want him to retire and she surely wasn't going to NOT be there so…she would just have to continue to worry and let little pieces of her heart get torn out from time to time.

"Hey, are you okay? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm fine. I just hate it that you're hurt. It's hard for me to see you in pain Jethro and I worry about you. That's all. Nothing new really. Comes with loving you and I don't seem to be able to do anything about that.

Jethro reached across and took her hand smoothing his thumb back and forth over her knuckles. "I'm fine, Jen. I know you worry and I'm sorry I don't always get out of the way of trouble. I guess it's just part of my charm."

"Part of your charm huh? I'd like to explore some other parts of your charm later if you're going to be up to it."

"When have I ever not been up to being charming for you?"

Jen laughed and moved back to sit beside Jethro and kiss him again. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair. They finished their beers and let the swirling waters soothe away the worries of the day. As Jen was about doze off she heard the kitchen timer so she stood up to get out of the hot tub.

"Can you get out by yourself or do you need a hand?"

"I can manage. Go ahead and I'll be there in a few minutes."

After enjoying Noemi's wonderful dinner, Jen got up to clear the table. When Jethro started to help her stopped him with a hand to his chest. "I'll take care of all this you go relax."

"I can help. I'm not hurt that much, Jen."

She reached up and gently touched his bruised face and kissed him softly. "I know you can but tonight I want to take care of you. Go on upstairs and get comfortable, I'll be there in a few minutes and give you a back rub."

Jethro pulled her into a hug and said, "Okay, thanks babe."

Jethro managed to get up the stairs and into the bedroom but it wasn't easy without help. His knee was starting to stiffen up and his head was beginning to feel like he'd been kicked by more than Ziva's knee. When Jen came in the bedroom ten minutes later he was sitting on the side of the bed rubbing his knee. Jen looked at him and sighed. Then she saw the pill bottle on the nightstand and picked it up.

"Have you taken any of these yet?" she asked after reading the label.

"No, I didn't think I'd need them but I'm ready to rethink that decision."

"Good idea. I'll get you some water." Jen returned from the bathroom with a cup of water and gave him two of the pain pills. "Do you want me to rub the knee or your back?"

"I think I'd rather have the massage. The knee is pretty sore and it doesn't really want to be touched too much."

Jethro stretched out on his stomach and Jen settled next to him. Normally she would straddle his thighs to rub his back but with his knee hurting like it was she decided she better not do that tonight. The angle wasn't the best for a good massage but she'd manage. She rubbed some oil onto her hands and started on Jethro's shoulders. She gradually worked her way down his back kneading out the tightness in his muscles. When she was finished she went into the bathroom and washed the oil off her hands and changed into some sleep shorts and a camisole. Probably a waste of time unless Jethro was already asleep she mused as she ran her fingers through her hair and turned off the light.

Jethro was most definitely not asleep when she returned to their bed. He was lying on his side with his head propped up in his hand obviously waiting for her. He pulled the sheet back and patted the bed next to him and said, "Did you want to explore some of my other charming qualities now?" He had a grin on his face that even the nasty bruise he had couldn't diminish.

Jen laid down next to him and said, "Explore? That sounds like an intriguing idea… …."

She didn't get to finish what she was going to say because as soon as she was on the bed Jethro was on top of her, his lips closing over hers in a kiss that charming didn't begin to cover. When he let her breathe his mouth moved to her jaw and then her neck and back to her mouth as soon as she had time to catch her breath. Jethro could never get enough of his wife and tonight was no exception. His hands were everywhere and sure enough the shorts and camisole were soon discarded. There was no talking, just quiet moans of satisfaction as Jethro kissed and tasted every part of his very favorite person.

Jen was no passive participant in this encounter. Her hands and lips were just as busy as Jethro's and just as effective at bringing pleasure. She loved the feel of him and she knew just where and how to touch him to give him the greatest pleasure. When he came up for air Jen took the initiative and rolled them over and took control of the situation. She kissed him firmly on the mouth then moved down to his chest and abdomen. She divested him of his boxers and ever so slowly kissed her way back up his body. The look in his eyes and the feel of him pushing against her were enough to let her know he needed his control back.

Jethro loved it when Jen was on top because he could touch her so much better but he needed to be inside her NOW so he rolled them over and holding himself above her he entered her and their familiar rhythm began. No matter how many times he made love to Jen he always felt the same thrill and overwhelming love for her as she came undone beneath him. Her fingernails scraped down his chest and over his butt as she thrust upward to meet him. Jethro leaned down to kiss her mouth, his tongue exploring and tasting her. When she called his name and he felt her tighten around him Jethro let go and they climaxed together.

Laying on his back with his wife wrapped snugly in his arms Jethro wondered how he got so lucky. "I love you Jenny", he said as he let his fingers wander up and down her back.

"I love you too Jethro. And I do find you very charming."


	2. Chapter 2

Usual disclaimers apply.

A/N: A few one shots looking at Jen and Gibbs as a married couple. Three are written so far and hopefully more will pop into my head in the coming weeks.

**Scenes From A Marriage**

**II. All Dressed Up And...**

Special Agent Jethro Gibbs answered the phone on his desk in his usual manner, "Yeah, Gibbs."

Through the magic of technology he was greeted by the voice of his boss, "Do you remember we are going to a reception tonight?" This particular voice was definitely his BOSS. At other times, in other circumstances, the very same voice might be that of his wife or his lover or his best friend but right now, with this message, delivered in this tone, it was definitely the boss talking.

"Yes, Director, I remember." Gibbs figured he might as well answer her as the boss if that was how she was going to talk to him. Maybe not a good decision but he'd find that out later.

"Good. I'll be leaving in a few minutes so I'll see you at home. Don't be late Jethro!"

"Yes, Ma'am." Gibbs grinned as he hung up the phone. He knew he'd pay for that too but it would probably be worth it. Jen was always fun when he had her just a little bit riled up.

2 Hours Later

Gibbs ran from the car to the house as fast as possible but still managed to get soaked by the heavy rain that had plagued his drive home. 'Great night to have to get all dressed up and go out to some stupid reception' he thought as he stripped off his wet jacket and left his shoes in the hallway. He made it upstairs to the bathroom where Jen was getting ready. He wondered what she had been doing for last two hours but he had more sense than to ask. To his dismay she handed him a towel and sent him off to use the guest bathroom telling him she didn't want him in their bathroom fogging up the place while she was getting ready. That was a new one and he sincerely hoped it wouldn't be a regular thing. After all being naked in the bathroom together was one of the perks of being married wasn't it?

When she sent him off to the guest bathroom Jen had to work hard to contain herself. He looked like a little boy who had been banished from his playroom. Jen knew she was being just a bit mean but she had her motives and her plan. This evening had taken a lot of planning and she wasn't going to let a little pouting by her dear husband spoil that plan.

Gibbs came back to the bedroom from his shower to find Jen still in the bathroom and his tux and shirt laid out on the bed along with his socks and underwear. To his great delight and surprise, on the table in the sitting area was a glass of bourbon. Jen was still in the bathroom and again he knew better than to question her time spent in there. Whatever she did in there for so long on nights like this, it was always worth the wait. He got dressed, managed to get the tie on just so and sat down in a chair in the sitting area of the bedroom to enjoy his bourbon and await his wife's appearance. He listened to the thunder rolling across the sky and the rain pouring down and wished again they weren't going out in that mess tonight. Gibbs glanced at the clock and saw it was almost 7:00. Melvin should be here with the car by now and Jen should be coming out of that damn bathroom any minute.

He decided to take a chance and called to her, "Hey, babe we probably need to be going pretty soon." He held his breath waiting for her response and was surprised when she said, very calmly,

"Okay, I'm just about ready."

Before Gibbs had really recovered from that very sweet response Jen stepped out of the bathroom and he was struck speechless. Her hair was piled up with just some stray wisps trailing down her back. She was dressed in a beautiful, dark green evening dress that perfectly offset her hair and her skin tone. It was fitted in all the right places and flowing in all the others. The front dipped low enough that Jethro didn't like the idea of anyone else standing very close to her tonight.

"Wow, you look spectacular Jen. I think I'll be taking my Sig tonight in case I need to shoot someone, like the SecNav or Fornell or whoever tries to stand too close to you."

"Thank you Jethro, I think. Shall we go downstairs?"

Jethro swallowed the last of his drink, put on his jacket and because he couldn't resist a moment longer, took Jen in his arms and kissed her sweetly. "You are beautiful, Jenny."

When they got downstairs Jethro headed toward the front door to see if Melvin was there yet. Seeing the car was not there, he turned around to find Jen in front of the closed door of the dining room. Before he could speak to tell her that Melvin was late, Jen motioned for him to come to her. By now the wheels were beginning to turn in his head and he was about to decide something was up.

"Melvin's not coming tonight, Jethro." This was definitely not the voice of his boss. This was the voice of his wife/lover/best friend with the emphasis on the lover role.

Jethro was standing in front of her now, right in front of her. Close enough to feel her breath on his face when she leaned into him and said, "I meant to tell you that you look very handsome tonight Jethro."

"Thanks Jen. Do you mind telling me why Melvin isn't coming with the car and why we're standing in the hallway all dressed up?"

Jen opened the door and stepped back into the dining room. The table was set with the good china and crystal and candles were burning on the mantle and the table as well. Some soft jazz was playing on the stereo. There was a bottle of wine opened and on the sideboard some very delicious looking food was set out.

"Jen, what's going on? Did I miss an anniversary or something again?"

Jen stepped over to the table to pour them some wine. "No, you didn't miss anything. I hope you don't mind Jethro but I got to thinking the other day that we never do anything romantic or fancy just for ourselves anymore. I never get dressed up just for you; only when we have to go out. I wanted to do something special just for the two of us. I wanted to put on something pretty and sexy just for you to enjoy…and take off later."

"Soooo, we're all dressed up and nowhere to go, is that right?" Jethro had moved to stand behind Jen and was running his hands up and down her arms as he leaned in to kiss her neck.

Jen leaned back into him and tilted her head to the side to give him more access to the soft skin of her neck and shoulder. "That's right. I hope you're not disappointed or angry that I made you get all dressed up just for me."

Jethro turned her around and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. When he let go he took her face in his hands and caressed her lips with a thumb and said, "I would gladly wear this every day if it made you happy, Jen. I love it that you wanted to get all dressed up just for me to enjoy. I can't tell you how much I love you but I will try to show you tonight."

Hours later the candles had burned down, the wine had been drunk and the pretty green dress had joined the tuxedo on the floor of the bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

See Chapter One for disclaimer.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Rating was changed after a suggestion from a reviewer that CH 1 should be T so just to be safe that is the rating now. Hope no one was offended.

**Scenes From a Marriage **

**III**. **Just A Really Bad Day**

Jennifer Shepard was anxious to get home. It had been a bad day and it wasn't going to get any better until she was home and sure that her husband was safe. The meetings in New York had gone on longer than scheduled but the real stressor had been the call she received during lunch telling her about a shooting involving Agent Gibbs' team and the dirt bag they were investigating. According to her assistant, Cynthia, Gibbs—the aforementioned husband—was unharmed but she wanted to verify that for herself and not over the phone. Her driver was doing his best to get her home quickly but the traffic tonight was lousy which matched the rest of the day and her mood at the moment.

"Melvin, short of using lights and sirens is there anything that will get us there faster?"

"I'm afraid not Director. You know how Friday nights are. Twenty minutes at the most."

"Thank you Melvin."

True to his word Melvin deposited her at her doorstep sixteen minutes later. As she got out of the car she noted that Jethro's car was in driveway but there were no lights on in the house. Jen thanked Melvin for his assistance and wished him a good weekend. She went in the house calling Jethro's name but there was no answer. Quickly checking the downstairs she discovered the back door was open. She looked out and saw Jethro sitting in a deck chair, two empty beer bottles on the table beside him. Jen took two more out of the refrigerator and went out to join him. Knowing it was not a good idea to surprise him, she let the door slam just enough to alert him that she was coming.

Jen handed Jethro a beer and leaned down to kiss him hello, "Hey, are you okay babe?"

"I am now." Jethro pulled her down onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her deeply. "I'm glad you're home. It's been a crappy day."

"I know, Cynthia called me. Are you sure you weren't hurt? What about your team?"

"Nobody got hurt. Can we talk about it later? I'd much rather just sit here and enjoy having you home."

"Of course." Jen started to move to another chair but Jethro tightened his hold on her so she relaxed in his lap with her head on his shoulder. They sat like that without talking until their beers were gone and Jethro's stomach started growling.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"When was the last time you were here?"

"Jethro, I've been in New York for two days. Surely you can find something to eat when I'm not here. Hasn't Noemi been here?"

"No, her sister got sick and she has been staying with her since you left. Plus, I've been busy and you know I don't like to eat alone."

"You are pitiful, you know that? Come on, let's go in and I'll fix us some dinner."

When they stood up Jethro wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly. "I miss you when you're not here. I don't sleep when you're gone and I don't like going to work when you're not there."

Jen looked at him and wondered what was going on. Sure he was always glad to have her home but Jethro was not usually so pathetic about her being gone. After all she had only been gone since Wednesday afternoon and she was only in New York City, hardly a great distance away. She wondered if he wasn't feeling well or if it was something about the shooting today. Jen decided to wait until they had eaten to ask him about it. For now she would just keep it light and easy.

"You know I don't like to be away but sometimes it can't be helped. We have the whole weekend to make up for it. Come on, I'm starving."

After they ate and cleaned up the kitchen, Jethro carried Jen's bag upstairs then took a long, hot shower while she unpacked and put her things away. While she was sorting and putting away her clothes Jen wondered what was really bothering Jethro. According to Cynthia he had been more or less forced to shoot the suspect because he was holding a young girl hostage and threatening to kill her. Jen knew of course, that Jethro never took killing anyone lightly but it seemed he didn't have much choice today. Nevertheless, he was obviously troubled about it. When she went into the bathroom to put away her toiletries she could see he was just standing in the shower letting the water pound down on his head. She quickly discarded her clothes and joined him. Without a word she stepped into his arms and they held each other as the water cascaded down washing away at least some of the pain of the day.

"Do you need to talk about it?" she asked.

"I have been thinking all day that there should have been another way."

Jen heard the anguish in his voice and reached up to touch his face gently. "It's not like you to second guess yourself Jethro. And it's dangerous. Tell me what's got you spooked."

"He was just a kid. I thought I could talk him down but he just wouldn't let the girl go. I tried to get him to let her go so we could talk about what was happening but he wouldn't listen. He was going to hurt her I knew it and I couldn't get him to turn her loose. She was crying and shaking and he was getting more and more agitated. We couldn't get her to calm down. She was terrified of course. I kept telling him to put the gun down but he was going to shoot her I could see that. I tried Jen, I tried not to have to shoot him but he just wouldn't listen. Then he said something to the girl and she was begging him to let her go and I knew he was going to kill her if I didn't take him out. So, I did. He was just a kid, Jen."

"He was a kid with a gun and a terrified young girl as a hostage. I know you did everything you could to salvage the situation but your first priority had to be the girl. I know you know that Jethro. I'm sorry it had to end like it did but he made the choice not you."

"I know but today for some reason it just got to me. I need to focus on the girl but he was just a kid and I hated having to kill him. Thank you for knowing I needed to tell you about it. Sometimes I wonder what I ever did to deserve you."

"You put up with my cooking and my moods for starters. I love you Jethro. Don't ever forget that or think it will change because it won't. Now, I'm getting out of here before I turn into a prune. You take your time and I'll be waiting."

Jen gave him one more kiss then stepped out of the shower and dried off. She slipped on some comfy pj's and after putting clean sheets on the bed, she sat in the bed with the book she had been reading the past couple of nights. Like Jethro, she didn't sleep much when she was away from home. When Jethro came out of the bathroom she looked up and smiled. Jen never go tired of looking at her husband. She had fallen in love with him the first week she knew him and her feelings had not diminished even a little bit over the years. Watching him now as he pulled on his favorite raggedy shorts and dried his hair with the towel, Jen knew she was a very lucky woman.

Jethro threw his towel back into the bathroom and looked over at Jen from the doorway. 'God she's beautiful' he thought to himself with a happy grin on his face. Her hair was in a loose pony tail but he'd have that out before too long. And whatever she was reading was going to be on the floor pretty soon right along with those pj's she was wearing. In all the years they had been together he could honestly say Jen had never disappointed him in any way. She was always the one who could calm him down and who could keep the nightmares at bay. Of course she was also the one who got him fired up most of the time. She could argue with him until he thought he would lose his mind but she never turned her back on him or tried to hurt him. Jennifer Shepard was definitely his equal in almost every area of their life and he knew he would be lost without her. As he was counting his blessings Jen looked up at him and smiled that smile that never failed to get her exactly what she wanted. The one that Jethro had been unable to resist for the last ten years and counting.

"You coming to bed or are you just going to stand there leering all night?"

"I'm not leering. I am enjoying the view however."

"View's better over here, I promise."

"Whatcha reading?" Jethro took a few steps toward the bed but stopped short of joining her.

"Just a trashy novel I picked up in New York to pass the time when I couldn't sleep."

"Find any good tips in there?" Now he was leering and Jen had to laugh.

"Well, there might be a couple of things we could try if you would come on down here."

And before she knew it Jethro was right there. He tossed the book over his shoulder and pulled her from her sitting position to lying flat on her back underneath him. He intertwined their fingers and pinned her hands to the bed next to her head. Her gasp at his sudden movement was smothered by his mouth as he kissed her long and slow, his tongue dancing with hers as they tasted each other. Jethro felt her rubbing her foot up the back of his calf as he settled into the kiss. Jen got one hand free and used it to hold his head firmly in place. When Jethro couldn't wait another second to breathe he lifted his mouth from hers and kissed his way along her jaw and down her throat to her shoulder.

Not long after that, the pj's followed the book over Jethro's shoulder to the floor and his raggedy old shorts soon joined them. The outside world ceased to exist for the next few hours. There was no crime to fight, no bad guys to catch and no young girls to save. All that mattered was two people, so completely in love they could always get each other through even a really bad day.


	4. Chapter 4

See Chapter One for Disclaimer.

A/N Okay not a one shot like the ad says in the beginning. I have trouble writing these two not being nice and making up right away so I'm trying to give them some angst. We'll see how it goes. Most likely just one more segment to this particular Scene

**Scenes From A Marriage**

**IV. Regrets (Part 1)**

Director Jennifer Sheppard rolled her shoulders and reached for the Tylenol and a glass of water on her desk. It was only 8:30 in the morning and already the day was a frightful disaster. She had spent the last forty five minutes in MTAC on a conference call with first the Director of the FBI and then her boss, the Secretary of the Navy. As usual those two did not make for a pleasant beginning to her workday. Added to that, the discussion of course, had to do with her Senior Special Agent, Jethro Gibbs and his general inability to play well with others. And that was piled on top of the overall bad attitude her husband had been displaying at work and at home the past several weeks. Sighing, she reached for her phone having decided she might as well get it over with. Jen spoke to her assistant and reached for another Tylenol. This was definitely a three capsule morning.

"Cynthia, please ask Agent Gibbs to come up here."

Minutes later her door was flung open and Agent Gibbs barged into the office with his usual, 'why am I here?' demeanor. "You wanted to see me Jen?" He made himself at home in a chair at the conference table and swiveled around to look at her.

"That's why I had Cynthia call you up here." She decided snippy might be the order of the day, at least to begin with.

Jethro narrowed his eyes and looked at his wife wondering what he was going to get blamed for now. They seemed to be having a lot of these kinds of conversations lately and he was tired of them. His mind skipped back over the past couple of days and he drew a blank as to anything she should be mad about. Had he done something at home this morning he wasn't supposed to do? Didn't think so. Did he forget a birthday or anniversary? No, Jen always reminded Abby to remind him of those things. So…why was Jen glaring at him? He contemplated going over and offering to rub her shoulders or something but decided it might be safer to keep his distance.

"Are you going to tell me why I'm here or just glare at me until I surrender to your charms?"

"Very funny Agent Gibbs."

"Oh, that's how it's going to be huh. Then let me rephrase my question. What can I do for you this morning, Madame Director?"

"You can stop being a smart ass for one thing. Then you can go downstairs and get your case file on David Morgan together for the FBI agent who will be picking it up in an hour." Jen braced herself for the storm she knew was coming. She watched as Jethro's smirk turned into a sneer and his whole body tensed up, ready to explode.

"What the hell are you talking about? The FBI has no damn business with that case. That is our case and you damn well know it." Jethro was loud enough that Jen was sure Cynthia was cringing at her desk in the outer office.

He was standing up by now and leaning across the front of her desk with his palms planted firmly on the top. Jen stood up and leaned in from her side. They were less than a foot apart and the sparks were almost visible between them

"Do not use that tone with me Jethro Gibbs and do not swear at me. Let's not forget that I am your boss and I expect you to respect that especially while we are in this building."

Jethro took a breath and looked at his wife knowing he had come close to crossing a line they worked very hard to maintain. Why was he always pissing her off lately? Why did every other day have to be a battle between them? "That case is ours Jen and you know it. Or you should. We have spent the last two days and nights on this thing and now you're just handing it over to them. Just exactly how does that happen?"

Jen pushed back from the desk and sat down. "I'll tell you exactly how it happens. An FBI agent complains to his supervisor who complains to their Director that we are interfering in a federal case. Then their Director complains to his boss at the Department of Justice. That person just happens to play poker with my boss, the Secretary of the Navy. So…this morning the SecNav calls me and chews on my case for thirty minutes about how my senior agent is meddling in something that doesn't concern him. He goes on to remind me that this is just the latest of several "discussions" he and I have had about this particular agent this year. Then I call that agent into my office and give him an order to comply with what the Secretary of the Navy has told me to do. Is that clear enough for you Jethro or do I need to draw you a picture with stick figures and colored markers?

Jethro resisted the almost overpowering urge to laugh knowing that would not be well received. When Jen was stirred up and on a rant it was all he could do to process what she was saying. He got so caught up watching her that he lost track of why she was yelling at him in the first place. Those two days and nights spent working on the stupid case didn't seem all that important anymore. He'd figured it might happen from the beginning but they hadn't had anything else to work on so he just kept working it until the FBI figured out what was going on. Fornell being out of town was the only reason it took so long for them to catch on. So why not just agree with her and let it go? Why am I letting her get so upset at me? These thoughts swam through Jethro's mind but he didn't give them a voice.

"Stick figures and colored markers? Very funny. What took them so long? Or did they just want to wait until we had all the work done and they could take the credit…again." He shoved the chair back against the table and stalked to the door.

"I don't know and I don't care. Just get the file together." Jen glared back at him.

"Fine." Jethro yelled as he slammed his way out of the office, past Cynthia and out the door.

"Fine!" Jen shouted at the closed door. She rubbed her temples in a vain attempt to push away her headache. 'Gosh, that went well' she thought to herself. She called Cynthia and told her she didn't want to be disturbed for the next half hour unless it was a dire emergency. In the quiet of the office Jen reflected on the confrontation with Jethro and wondered how much longer they could keep up their two lives; working together with her as the boss and being happily married at the same time. They had always had a volatile relationship but now she sometimes worried that the stress of their jobs was going to undermine their marriage. Something was definitely going on with Jethro but she was completely in the dark as to what it could be. They had always needled one another and verbally sparred with each other but in the past few weeks it had taken on a decidedly harder edge that Jen didn't like. Whatever it was she realized it would have to end pretty soon or she was going to either fire her best investigator or kill her husband.

Life with Jethro Gibbs would never be dull and that was part of the attraction. They were both driven, stubborn people but there was no one Jen would rather have as a partner—in life or work--than Jethro. What he lacked in finesse he made up for with passion and a fierce devotion to their marriage and she knew he loved her more than his own life. She felt the same way about him. These little 'exchanges' they sometimes had in the office were usually just minor blips on the screen; at least that is what she kept telling herself. In reality she knew they were becoming more frequent and sometimes much more personal than they should have been. Normally they didn't take these work disagreements home. Then again, she thought, they seemed to argue about other things at home. Jen gazed out the window and wondered what was going on.

While all these thoughts swirled through Jen's aching head Jethro stood just outside Cynthia's door and tried to decide whether or not to go back in there and smooth things over. For some reason he and Jen had been having a lot of these arguments lately and it was starting to worry him. Of course he knew he was to blame for most of them but recently they seemed more personal to him and sometimes he found himself saying things he really regretted later. 'What the hell is going on?' he wondered.

Cynthia sighed and went back to her paperwork. She was used to the back and forth of this particular relationship. The shouting and door slamming had certainly lessened over the past couple of years but now it was becoming a regular feature of the office at least twice a week. In her opinion, the two people involved were both too stubborn for their own good. Cynthia was absolutely loyal to Director Sheppard but she had developed a certain affection for the volatile Agent Gibbs once she realized how much he loved his wife and what good care he took of her. She wondered what sort of difficulty the couple was going through that was causing them so much upset.

Jen gave some thought to calling Jethro back in and working out their differences over this case but she decided not to. He was the one who should be apologizing and trying to smooth things over she thought as she went back to her files. Nevertheless, she decided she would sit him down tonight and they would sort out what was happening between them. There was no way she was going to let whatever it was continue to eat away at their relationship.

Jethro's pride and his need to be right overruled his instinct to go back and talk to Jen. He decided to go down to his desk and get the file ready for the FBI and then go for coffee. As the day unfolded Jethro would come to regret that decision more than almost any other in his lifetime.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

**Scenes From a Marriage**

**IV Regrets (Part 2)**

Cynthia managed to keep the phone calls and visitors at bay for a full twenty minutes but when the Assistant Director in Europe called she had to disturb Jen.

"I'm sorry Director, but Assistant Director Metcalf is on the phone for you."

"Thank you Cynthia. Can you find me some coffee please?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Good morning Jack, or rather good afternoon. What can I help you with?" The call from the NCIS office in London lasted a good forty-five minutes and when Jen finally got off she stepped into a meeting which lasted another two hours. Coming from the conference room back to her office she noticed Jethro's team was gone.

"Cynthia do you know if Agent Gibbs' team caught a case?"

"Yes, ma'am. Agent Gibbs said to tell you they were headed to Norfolk and he didn't have any idea when they would return." Cynthia took a deep breath and plunged ahead, "I don't mean to overstep here Director but is everything alright? You two seemed upset earlier."

"It's fine Cynthia. We just had a slight disagreement over a case. Don't worry about us. Do you know if Dr. Mallard went with Agent Gibbs?"

"He didn't. In fact he was looking for you just a few minutes ago. He asked that you call him when you came back. It's the first message there." Cynthia handed Jen a stack of phone messages.

"Thank you Cynthia. Why don't you go to lunch. We have a full afternoon ahead of us."

Jen went into her office and phoned Dr. Mallard. "You were looking for me Ducky?"

"Yes, my dear I was hoping you could join me for lunch. It seems Jethro is gone and I am without a lunch companion."

Jen laughed and said, "Well I don't know how I feel about being second choice, but I'd be happy to join you."

"Ah, yes, that didn't sound very enticing did it. Alright, I'll be right up to get you."

Jen and Ducky enjoyed a pleasant lunch and avoided the topic that was secretly on both their minds. Finally, on the way back to the Navy Yard, Jen posed the question she had wanted to ask for the past hour. "Ducky, have you noticed anything going on with Jethro lately?"

Ducky looked at her sharply and said in reply, "You know I have wanted to ask you the same thing. He seems on edge in the past few weeks. He is often very short with his team and seems impatient even with himself. I was going to ask if there was something wrong at home or if he is not feeling well."

"I don't know what's going on. We seem to be arguing a lot lately. He is distracted and as you say very impatient. He is spending a lot of time in the basement doing what, I don't know since he isn't building anything at the moment. I don't think he's sick. I can't get him to talk to me; every time I try to probe him he either blows up or shuts down completely."

"Jennifer, this is very disturbing to me. I haven't seen Jethro acting like this in years. If I may be so indelicate as to ask, how is your sex life?"

"Not what it normally is or what it should be. I don't want to give you the impression that we are fighting all the time or that Jethro is being intentionally mean or hateful to me. We are still good together, we are still intimate on a regular basis but something is off there too. He's just not himself and I worry that he is going to let whatever is happening with him affect his work which could have tragic results. I was planning to have a serious talk with him tonight but I don't know if they will be back from Norfolk today or not."

"Would you like me to talk to him for you?"

"Thank you Ducky but I think I better have a go at it first. If I don't get anywhere I'll turn him over to you. Thank you for noticing and for asking about us. You know I love Jethro with everything I am and I believe he feels the same way. Hopefully, we are just in a bit of rough water and soon it will all smooth out."

As Jen and Ducky were arriving back at the Navy Yard after lunch, Jethro and his team were finally completing the almost three hour drive to Norfolk. Actually the mileage indicated the trip to be just over three hours and fifteen minutes but with Gibbs driving it didn't take quite that long. When they started out Jethro thought to himself 'this had better be damn important because otherwise a local agent should have been able to handle the situation'. For some reason though the base commander had requested him and his team specifically so chances were it was not just a run of the mill dead sailor.

At least the long drive had given Jethro some time to think about what was happening between himself and Jen. Luckily, the members of Gibbs' team knew better than to try and engage him in conversation in the car so he had lots of quiet time. His three agents had their headphones on and after reading over the scant information they had on the case, each of them had fallen asleep. Except for Tony's snoring Jethro had peace and quiet for almost three hours.

Jethro Gibbs was not a particularly complicated man but he did have his secrets and his demons. He had loved only two women in his life; one was dead and the other one he was slowly shutting out of his life. The real problem was he didn't know why he was doing it. His first wife and their daughter had been killed while he was in Kuwait during the first Gulf War. Jethro did not expect or really even want to recover from those losses and for years he didn't. Then he was assigned a new 'probie' and life took on a whole new meaning.

Jennifer Sheppard was beautiful, intelligent, a fast learner and not the least bit intimidated by him. Jethro was captivated by her almost from day one. Her green eyes and red hair reminded him of Shannon but for the first time that wasn't a painful feeling. What really captured his attention and eventually his heart was that she never pushed him to talk about his past. Jen let him know practically from the start of their partnership that she cared for him in more than a professional manner but she didn't act on that until he was ready to admit his feelings for her. By the time Jethro realized he was falling in love with Jen it was too late to do anything but hold on and enjoy the ride. And he had been doing just that for the past ten years. Jethro reflected that being in love with Jen was a lot like a roller coaster ride; terrifying one instant and exhilarating the next.

It had terrified him to have so little control over his emotions so much of the time. He knew by loving her he was giving her an incredible degree of power over him but at the same time he felt completely safe with her. She had the uncanny ability to get him fired up one minute and then calm him down the next. She helped him focus his mind and his energy when they were working and then she made it possible for him to let it all go when they were off the job. Somehow she knew just what to say and do when his nightmares were haunting him or the past threatened to overwhelm him. Jen was the one person he could fall apart with because he knew she would be able to put him back together. Being wrapped in her arms gave him the first feelings of real love and security he'd had since Shannon died.

Once he and Jen had become lovers, Jethro knew there would never be another woman for him. He couldn't get enough of her; he was addicted to her scent and the taste of her. He craved her touch on his skin. Just thinking about the feel of her skin as his hands explored her slim body could make his fingers twitch even now. When they were together, away from work, he would watch her and marvel at his good fortune. He never tired of spending time with his wife and he only reluctantly accepted the enormous demands of her job. The fact that Jen understood his passion for the job and his single mindedness during a case only made him love her more. It wasn't always sunshine and flowers; they had clashed loudly and often from the very beginning but they never went away angry and they always found their way back to each other in short order. The fact was that Jethro couldn't stay mad at her and he couldn't do without her love for any length of time. He needed her like he needed food and drink; every single damn day.

The drive was almost over as Jethro thought back to the first time he had asked Jen to marry him. They had fallen in love during their time working undercover in Europe and when they were transferred back to the States their relationship continued and grew even stronger. Jethro had told himself after Shannon's death that he would never remarry but he could not imagine his life without Jen so he finally got up the courage to ask her to marry him. She said no. The power of that little two letter word to completely destroy him took Jethro by surprise.

No one who knew him now would believe it but Jethro begged and pleaded with Jen to change her mind. It took almost a year but he finally convinced her they could make their life together work. They were on different teams by then and were often apart for weeks at a time. Jen was much more ambitious in her career plans than Jethro was and he was fine with that. All he wanted to do was catch the bad guys and get some justice and peace for the victims and their survivors. Jen wanted that too but she also wanted to have a voice in how things were done and who did them. She wanted to be in charge of something more than an investigative team and eventually she was. Jethro was very proud of her accomplishments and not the least bit put off by the fact that she was now his boss. Whatever was happening to them he knew that arrangement didn't have anything to do with it.

All this reminiscing brought Jethro back to the original question he had asked himself outside Jen's office this morning, 'What the hell was going on? And what was happening to them?' The more he thought about the past few weeks the more he came to accept that he was the reason for the fights and the door slamming and the general unhappiness between them. He knew he was shutting Jen out but he couldn't understand why. There was some vague uneasiness roaming around his mind and his heart but for the life of him he couldn't pin it down. There were no secrets between them, no dark mysteries he needed to keep from her. 'Why am I pushing away the only person I really want?' In a moment of clarity Jethro realized he needed to be having this conversation with Jen and not with himself. She was the one who could always made sense of his muddles. She was the one who would listen without judging and then help him figure out what to do. He needed to talk to Jen.

"DiNozzo, for god's sake stop snoring and pay attention!" Gibbs shouted at his senior field agent and woke him up as they drove onto the Naval Base at Norfolk. Ziva and McGee were already awake in the backseat.

"Hey, Boss. We here already? Seems like we just left DC."

"That's because you three have been asleep practically since we left the Navy Yard. I have a call to make so when we get to the crime scene I want you to get started and I'll be along shortly. Tony, you start getting statements, Ziva and McGee shoot and gather evidence. I'll track down Commander Jeffers and then come find you. Got it?"

"Got it Boss." The trio answered in unison.

Gibbs dropped the three agents at the crime scene then drove to the base commander's office. Before he got out of the car however he called back to NCIS.

"Director Sheppard's office."

"Cynthia this is Gibbs. Is the Director in?"

"I'm sorry she's in MTAC. Can I give her a message?"

"Yes, tell her I called and we are just now at the scene. Tell her I'll call her in a couple of hours and let her know how things are going. Thank you Cynthia." Gibbs disconnected the call and got out of the car to begin the investigation. He thought his gut was trying to tell him something but he chalked it up to the long drive and not enough coffee.

TBC

A/N Gosh this seems to be taking on a life of its own. It was not intended to be this long. I guess it should have been a stand alone story but…oh well. Probably only one more segment. Thanks for all reviews so far and to come.


	6. Chapter 6

**Scenes From a Marriage**

**IV Regrets (Part 3)**

Jethro conferred with Captain Jeffers about the dead petty officer then went back to the area where the body had been discovered. His team was almost finished processing the scene when he arrived. He arranged with the local agent to have the body shipped back to DC for Ducky to autopsy. He called the ME to let him know to be expecting it.

"Hey, Duck, we're sending you a body. Should be there before you leave this evening but there's no rush so don't wait if it isn't."

"Right Jethro. Anything I need to know about our victim?"

"Pretty clear on COD—gunshot to the head. He was last seen about 2:00 am and the body was discovered at 3:20 am so pretty narrow window for TOD. List of suspects is growing by the minute. Tell Abby there will be some evidence for her with the body plus whatever we bring back."

"Sounds like I'm not much needed on this one. Any idea when will you be coming back?"

"Hopefully tonight. Have you seen or talked to Jen today?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I had lunch with your lovely wife just over an hour ago."

"How is she? Is she still mad at me?"

"She's worried about you Jethro and frankly so am I. You two need to talk. Maybe take some time off and get whatever this is cleared up."

"I intend to do just that when I get home. Of course it would help if I knew what IT was."

"Well, I'll try to help if I can, Jethro, you know that."

"Yeah, I do. Thanks Ducky."

As the team was packing up their gear and preparing to leave the scene Jethro tried to call Jen. Cynthia said she was in a meeting so he said he'd call back later. The team loaded up and went to process the dead petty officer's quarters. Halfway through that task Jethro left to find some coffee and tried to call Jen again. By now it was after 4:00. Cynthia told him the Director was out of the building at a meeting with some people from Homeland Security. He tried her cell at 5:30 but got her voice mail. Not really knowing when they would be starting back he chose not to leave a message. His gut was again telling him something was wrong but he tried to ignore it and concentrate on the case.

At 6:00 Jen returned to the office and sent Cynthia home. She saw two messages Cynthia had taken and a missed call on her cell all from Jethro. Jen was vaguely aware of not feeling well; she was a little nauseous but she thought she was just over tired and worried about Jethro. When she stood up from her desk to leave she was dizzy for just a moment. On the way home, Jen tried to call Jethro but now she got his voice mail. She left a message, "I'm on my way home. Call me and let me know what's happening there. I love you."

When they arrived home Jen's driver helped her carry her bag and some files into the house. Whenever Jethro was not at home the security detail always checked the house before leaving. Satisfied everything was in order, Melvin bid Jen goodnight and left her alone. He waved to the agent parked across the street as he drove away.

Jen went upstairs and changed her clothes before settling down at her desk to attack some of the never ending paperwork. Her mind would not cooperate however and kept wandering to Jethro and their situation. She finally decided to relax on the couch with a light supper and a drink. As she started to sit down she felt a sharp pain in her back and a wave of nausea had her clutching at her stomach. Something is definitely wrong she thought as she laid back and tried to relax. She was having trouble catching her breath and reached for her cell phone in case she began to feel worse and needed to call someone.

Jethro's team was finally wrapping up their interviews at 7:30 and preparing to head home. He checked his phone and saw he had somehow missed Jen's call about an hour ago. As his agents scrambled for their preferred seats in the car Jethro tried to call her back. The cell wasn't answered so he tried the house phone with the same disappointing result. 'She's probably in the shower' he thought and decided he'd call back in thirty minutes.

At 8:00 Jethro called both phones again and still there was no answer on either of them. Now he was getting worried. Jen would never ignore his calls particularly when he was out of town and on a case. She was never out of reach especially to him. With his gut beginning to churn and worry nagging at his brain, he called Melvin.

"Melvin, it's Gibbs. What time did you leave the house tonight?"

"A little before 7:00. Is something wrong?"

"Did you check the house?"

"Of course. What's going on Gibbs?"

"I've called the house and the cell twice now with no answer. Who's on the street tonight?"

"Frank Murphy. Let me call him and have him check on the Director and call you."

"Thanks." Gibbs disconnected and somehow he could feel the call back wouldn't be good news.

Of course Tony, Ziva and Tim had overheard Jethro's half of the conversation. They exchanged worried looks and Ziva finally spoke up. "What is going on Gibbs?"

"I don't know yet. Jen isn't answering her cell or the house phone and she's been home for over an hour. The agent at the house is going to check on her and call me back."

Just then his phone rang and he saw from the caller ID it was Jen's phone. "Hey, I've been trying to call you. Are you okay?" He felt an instant of relief until he heard her voice.

"Jeth…." Jen's voice faded out before she could even say his name.

"Jen! Jen, talk to me! What's wrong?" Jethro was yelling into the phone obviously on the verge of panic. Wisely he pulled the car off the highway and stopped. Tony reached over and activated the emergency flashers.

"Jen, come on talk to me." He could hear her raspy breathing but she wasn't talking to him. "DiNozzo, get Melvin on the phone. Tell him to get Murphy in the house NOW."

"Jethro, come home. Need you." Jen was finally able to speak but her voice was so weak he could barely hear her.

"Jenny, I'm on my way. Agent Murphy's going to help you now. He's coming in the house to help you. Baby, can you hear me?"

"Love you Jethro." Jenny managed that brief statement before she lost consciousness and the phone fell to the floor.

The call was still connected and Jethro heard Agent Murphy enter the house and call out for Jen. Then he heard the agent swear and place a call to 911 requesting an ambulance immediately. Jethro suddenly bolted out of the car; he had to move, had to breathe. He began pacing the length of the car on the passenger side, the phone to his ear with one hand and his other hand scrubbing back and forth through his hair. He could hear Agent Murphy talking to Jen but he couldn't hear any response from her. Jethro bent over, hands on his knees and tried to breathe normally.

The team was stunned and alarmed by what had happened in the last few minutes. They had only heard half the conversation but they could deduce from that something was terribly wrong at the Gibbs residence. When he saw his boss bent over and looking like he was about to pass out, Tony went to him. Tony appeared at his side and placed one hand on Jethro's back. "Boss, get in. I'm driving. We need to get you home." Once they were back in the car Tony hit the lights and siren they only rarely used and they were on their way. When Jethro had gotten out of the car, Ziva called Ducky and told him something was wrong at the Director's residence. He said he would be on his way there and to call him with an update.

Jethro could hear Agent Murphy still talking to Jen and still getting no response. He was yelling into the phone hoping the agent would hear him and find the phone. Finally Frank did see the phone on the floor and picked up. "Hello?"

"This is Agent Gibbs. What the hell is going on?"

"The Director is unconscious. She has a faint pulse. No visible injuries. If I had to guess, judging by what I see, I'd say heart attack. I've called 911. I haven't been able to rouse her. I'm sorry Gibbs."

That was about the last thing Jethro wanted to hear. "Don't be sorry. Be sure she goes to Bethesda. We're probably ninety minutes out. Just keep this line open for now."

Jethro closed his eyes and tried to calm down. The silence in the car was deafening. Tony was driving like a NASCAR racer and luckily the traffic was light. It was going to be a long drive however. McGee decided they could use some help so he quietly got on the phone to the State Police. He explained the situation and in just a few minutes they were being led and tailed by State Troopers with lights and sirens on full tilt. Tony grinned at McGee in the rearview mirror. They both figured the more lights and sirens the better and the faster.

Jethro felt like someone was tightening a vise around his chest. He had never felt so helpless in his life. Jen was practically alone, maybe dying and he was miles away. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes and rubbed them away. Ziva leaned forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Can you tell us what is happening.?" Her voice was full of concern for both Gibbs and Jen who was her closest friend.

He took several deep breaths to compose himself before he answered. "Agent Murphy thinks Jen has had a heart attack. She's unconscious. We need to call Ducky." Gibbs' voice was quiet and betrayed the tenuous hold he had on his emotions.

"I called him. He's on his way to the house and then to Bethesda. He will call when he has seen the Director. She is a strong woman Gibbs. She will be alright." Ziva squeezed his shoulder and left her hand there as a small measure of comfort.

"Gibbs the ambulance is here and they're loading her now. She's still out. I'll call you when we get to the hospital. Melvin is on his way."

"Okay" was all Jethro could manage before he closed the phone. He felt like he was cutting off the last connection he had to Jen but he knew it was stupid to leave the call open. All he could do now was wait and hope. And of course start blaming himself.

Ducky had said she was worried about him—definitely his fault. He had been baiting her into stupid arguments for weeks—his fault again. Worst of all he had left this morning without apologizing. The last communication they'd had before these last frantic words, was him yelling at her and slamming her office door. Watching the highway fly past the speeding car Jethro fervently hoped that wasn't truly the last thing Jen heard him say.

Suddenly the stillness in the car was broken by the beeping of his phone. "Gibbs."

"It's Melvin. They're just arriving at the hospital. Dr. Mallard is here. He said he'll call when he has news."

"Thanks Melvin." Gibbs hung up and reported what he'd been told.

"Ziva's right Boss. The Director is one tough lady, she'll be okay." Tony stole a sideways glance at Gibbs and wished he hadn't. He had never seen Gibbs look scared but that was the only way he could describe the look he saw on his Boss' face now.

Jethro tried not to think about anything. All he wanted was for Ducky to call and say Jen was fine and waiting for him. He couldn't let himself think about her dying because he knew if she died he would be truly and forever lost. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift to happy times and the safety of being in Jen's arms. He didn't hear Ziva answer her phone.

"Don't say my name, Ziva. How far are you from DC?"

Ziva felt a shiver of fear down her spine as she heard Ducky's question. She leaned over and quietly asked McGee "How much longer?" When she had her answer she returned to the phone and said softly, "About thirty minutes hopefully."

TBC (very soon I promise)

A/N: I know it seems cruel to leave you hanging like that. I've never done it before. The rest is coming right along. Thanks for the reviews. They really do help move things along but the next and final chapter is coming regardless.


	7. Chapter 7

Note: Don't get hung up on the accuracy or lack thereof in the medical stuff. Timing and recovery issues are just a minor part of the story; not meant to be medically true. However, ladies please be aware of and knowledgeable about symptoms of heart attack; they can be very different for us than for men. Enjoy.

**Scenes From A Marriage**

**IV Regrets (Part 4)**

"_Don't say my name, Ziva. How far are you from DC?"_

_Ziva felt a shiver of fear down her spine as she heard Ducky's question. She leaned over and quietly asked McGee "How much longer?" When she had her answer she returned to the phone and said softly, "About thirty minutes hopefully."_

"Don't waste any time. I hope Tony is driving and not Jethro. The Director has suffered a rather serious heart attack and she is in critical condition. They have had to revive her since she arrived at the hospital. Jethro needs to be here sooner rather than later. I wanted to tell you this before I talk to him so you will all be aware of the situation. Sometimes he doesn't share information very well. I'm not saying she is not going to survive but with heart attacks anything can happen. I'm going to call Jethro now unless you have questions."

"I have dozens but they can wait. Thank you Ducky." Ziva closed her phone and opened her laptop to silently inform McGee of what Ducky had said. Tony would have to get whatever information Gibbs was going to share.

Jethro was getting anxious and kept looking at his watch and then at his phone as if he could will it to ring. Actually he wasn't sure he wanted it to ring although he reasoned even in his somewhat questionable state of mind, that Ducky wouldn't call him and tell him over the phone that Jen was dead. At least he hoped not. Finally, the phone beeped.

"Yeah, Ducky talk to me."

"Jethro, Jennifer has suffered a rather serious heart attack. She is stable at the moment but is in critical condition in the ICU. They have called in a superb cardiologist from George Washington Hospital to consult with Dr. Scott here at Bethesda. Dr. Scott himself is excellent and I have no concerns about the level of care she is receiving."

"Is she going to make it Duck?"

"I won't lie to you my friend there are no guarantees at this point. She has not regained consciousness but that is not unusual or particularly alarming. Jethro you do need to be here as soon as possible but you need to be in one piece when you get here."

"I know Duck. Tony's driving and we have State Troopers with us. I'd estimate another twenty to thirty minutes. Listen, Duck, if Jen wakes up tell her that I love her and I'm sorry. Tell her I'll be there as soon as I can. Please tell her that for me Duck. Promise?"

"I'll tell her Jethro but you will tell her yourself as well. Remember, she is a fighter and she loves you. Don't give up Jethro."

"I won't Duck. Thanks. Call me back if anything changes."

"I will."

Jethro closed the phone and couldn't keep the tears at bay any longer. He didn't care if his team saw him cry. They were probably going to see more of that in the next few days no matter what happened. "Ducky said Jen is in critical condition. She had a bad heart attack. He said we need to get there now, Tony but in one piece."

"Workin' on it Boss." Tony tired to smile but it was hard to do under the circumstances.

'At least she's alive and getting the best care available', Jethro thought to himself as the minutes and the miles slowly went by. He tried to relax and prepare himself for the coming hours. He was usually the one in the hospital bed and Jen was the one pacing the hallways or sitting next to the bed waiting for him to wake up. Now he would find out what it meant to spend your time just hoping the person you love would open their eyes. He hoped he got the chance to see what kind of patient she was because she was always telling him he was a terrible patient.

When he thought he couldn't stay in the car another five minutes they pulled up to the emergency entrance at Bethesda and he was out of the car and inside before Tony had completely stopped the car. Tony took a few minutes to thank the State Troopers for their help before he went to park the car. Ziva and McGee had followed Jethro into the hospital. They quickly found someone to direct them to the ICU waiting area. Ziva had called Ducky as they approached the hospital so he was waiting for them in the hallway.

"Any change Duck?"

"Not really. Jethro, slow down and take a breath. She's still unconscious and still in the ICU but she has been stable for the past hour or so. That's a good sign. They are running some tests at the moment. They will only allow family in the ICU I'm afraid so the team will have to wait out here. Come on now. I'll take you to her."

Ducky led Jethro into the ICU and over to the curtained area where Jen was being cared for. There was a nurse with her virtually all the time constantly monitoring the machines that seemed to be connected to every available spot on Jen's body. It took all his strength not to break down when he saw her. She looked so small and fragile in that bed with all the wires and tubes everywhere. She was so pale she almost disappeared into the sheets.

Jethro approached the side of the bed where there were fewer contraptions and gently took Jen's hand in his raising it to his lips for a lingering kiss. He leaned down and kissed her forehead and began talking to her in a quiet, gentle voice. "Jenny, I'm here. I love you and I want you to come back to me. I'm so sorry about this morning and all the other mornings lately. You know you mean everything to me Jen and I need you to be okay."

Ducky pushed a chair up behind Jethro then lowered the bed rail so his friend could sit down but still reach Jen's hand. Ducky stood behind Jethro when the younger man had taken a seat. He put his hands on Jethro's shoulders to offer his encouragement and support. Jethro let the tears he had been holding onto for the past hour fall freely down his face. He never took his eyes off of Jen and he continued to hold her hand and stroke her arm with his free hand. After just a few minutes of Jethro being there Jen's heart rate and other vital signs began to improve fractionally and stabilize even more. The nurse smiled at him and told him he was the best medicine Jen could have.

"How long can I stay with her?"

The nurse smiled at him again. "You can stay as long as you want. As long as she is stable and resting you can be with her. But don't forget to take care of yourself too. We will take care of your wife but you're on your own. Okay?"

Jethro smiled for the first time all day. "Okay."

Ducky gave him a pat on the back and said, "I'm going to let the others know how she's doing. I'll try and get them to go home but I doubt they will for a while. And I'll try and find you some decent coffee."

"Try the nurses station for the coffee, Doctor Mallard. It's the best in the hospital."

"Thank you."

Jethro settled down to wait for Jen to wake up. The nurse told him Jen would hear him if he talked to her so even though it made him a little uncomfortable with her there he continued talking to Jen. "I'm sorry I wasn't there today Jen. I got here as fast as DiNozzo could drive and you know that's pretty fast. I love you, Jenny, you have to wake up and be okay. You know I won't make it if something happens to you. A lot of people are pulling for you. Please don't leave me Jen. We have a lot of things left to do together and I need you with me. I promise I'm going to be better when you wake up. No more fighting over stupid stuff. I love you so much it scares me you know. And I'm not scared of anything. I'm right here Jen and I won't leave you." All these things were said in a hushed voice as Jethro held her hand and kissed her palm pressing her hand to his face.

After about fifteen minutes Ducky came back with some coffee. Jethro continued to hold Jen's hand; he never stopped touching her or kissing her hand or holding her hand to his face. He remembered the last time he was in the hospital and pretty well out of it he could feel Jen holding his hand to her face. It had felt so good to him to touch her then and he hoped it would do the same for her now. Besides he needed to feel her touch on his skin.

After sitting with them for a few hours, Ducky went home to get some sleep and Jethro's team did the same. He dozed on and off for several hours until around 8:30 am when he felt Jen's fingers moving in his hand. He opened his eyes and found she was slowly starting to come around. The nurse looked over at him and gave him a thumbs up signal. Jethro stood up and leaned down to kiss Jen. Her eyes finally came fully open and she saw those blue eyes she fell in love with so long ago gazing down at her. She smiled up at Jethro and raised her hand to touch his face.

"Hi."

"Hi yourself. You scared me Jen. I love you, please don't ever do that again."

"I'll sure try not to. What did I do anyway?"

"You had a heart attack, babe. A bad one as a matter of fact. But the doctors say you're going to be okay."

"How long have I been out?"

"About twelve hours. How do you feel anyway?"

"Just really tired." Jen looked over at the nurse and asked, "Am I really going to be okay?"

"Why don't I get your doctor and he can tell you. But the short answer is yes."

Turning her attention back to Jethro she asked, "Could I get another kiss please?"

Jethro didn't answer except to lean down and kiss her gently but thoroughly. The doctor came in and Jethro sat down while Dr. Scott told Jen what had happened. He said she had a serious heart attack but there did not appear to be any significant damage to the heart muscle and she should be fine in a week or so. He told her to take this episode as a serious warning that she needed to make some lifestyle changes. He talked about diet, stress and exercise and Jen frowned the whole time he was talking. Jethro had to smile especially at the stress part. He had been telling her for two years she needed to slow down and make the SecNav hire her an assistant in the DC office. Now that was going to happen if he had to camp out on the man's doorstep to accomplish it.

The doctor left after telling them Jen would be moved to a private room in the cardiac care department the next day. Jen said she was tired and finally convinced Jethro to go home and at least shower and change clothes. He agreed and kissed her goodbye promising to be back in a couple of hours. When he stepped out into the waiting area Ducky was just coming in the door.

"How is our patient this morning?"

"Well, she finally woke up about thirty minutes ago. Dr. Scott came in and gave her a lecture about stress etc. She said she's tired and kicked me out to go home and shower and change clothes. I don't suppose you could give me a ride?"

"Of course. I have something I want to talk to you about anyway."

When they were settled in the car Ducky began by saying, "I know the past day has been a scary one for you Jethro. I imagine you have not given much thought in the past twelve hours to whatever has been bothering you lately. Am I right?"

"You are. I gave it a lot of thought on the way to Norfolk yesterday but once we got there I focused on the case. Then on the way back I couldn't think about anything but what was happening to Jen.

"I have a theory if you're interested."

"Yes, I'm interested. I don't want to continue the pattern we, or more precisely I, have been in for the past couple of weeks. What's your theory, Duck?"

"How long were you and Shannon married?"

Jethro looked at his friend and frowned. This was not a topic he generally discussed with anyone but Jen. But, he trusted Ducky so he answered. "Eleven years and three months."

"How long had you been overseas when she and Kelly were killed?" He saw Jethro swallow and plunged ahead. "I know these are painful subjects for you Jethro but I believe if we can just explore a little bit into this we can find the answers you have been looking for."

Again Jethro hesitated. He wondered where Ducky was going with this. He knew his old friend had only his and Jen's best interests at heart and he knew Ducky would never bring up something that was hurtful to him without good reason. So, he finally answered, "Almost four months."

"And how long have you and Jennifer been married?"

"Eleven years next month as a matter of fact. Where are you going with this, Duck?"

"It's just a theory Jethro but think back to when you started shutting Jen out. Back to the time you find yourself being so argumentative over the smallest things. You had to leave Shannon just weeks before your 11th anniversary, correct? And now as you approach that same anniversary with Jennifer you are closing yourself off from her; creating discord where none really exists. Not intentionally of course but subconsciously you are preparing yourself for her leaving you too. Your mind is telling you that you can lessen the pain of her leaving if you figuratively leave her first by causing all this anger and unhappiness."

"Sounds like a lot of psycho babble Duck. You really think I'm trying to drive Jen away from me?"

"Not on purpose! It's like a child who believes they have been rejected by a parent or a friend. That child will often reject the next person who tries to love them because by doing the rejecting themselves they feel more in control and believe they will feel less pain. In other words, 'I'll hurt you before you hurt me.' Does that make sense to you at all?"

Jethro didn't answer and was quiet for the rest of the trip home. In fact he didn't speak again until he had showered and changed and come back downstairs. Ducky was waiting in the kitchen with a fresh pot of coffee.

"You know old friend, I think you hit the nail on the head with this theory of yours. It does seem like I was driving Jen away by pissing her off all the time and then shutting her out when she tried to talk to me or help me. Damn I didn't even know what I was doing and God help me, I almost really did lose her. I have been thinking a lot about Shannon lately but I never put the anniversary thing together with what I've been doing. Thank you Ducky. How did you know?"

"I did a little research yesterday after my lunch with Jen and the timeline just seemed to fit too perfectly. You are like a son to me Jethro and I hated to see you hurting. I knew something had to be wrong because otherwise you would never treat Jen as you have for the past month. You love her too much to consciously hurt her feelings. Now what do you say we go see how she's feeling?"

Jethro embraced Ducky in a fierce hug. "Thank you again Ducky. Jen and I are very lucky to have you on our side."

The two friends returned to the hospital and found Jen sitting up in bed looking much better than she had just a couple of hours ago. "Well, you two look like you've accomplished more than just getting Jethro showered and into some clean clothes. What have you been up to? Or do I want to know?"

"Oh you definitely want to know but I think we'll save that for later. I want you to concentrate on getting better so you can come home. We have things to talk about and I have a lot of making up to do."

Jen smiled and said, "I sure like the sound of that. I don't suppose I could persuade you to fill me in, Ducky?"

"No my dear I think you will want to hear it all from Jethro. But don't worry it's all good and you will be pleased with what he has to tell you. Now, I will leave you two alone. Don't keep her in suspense too long Jethro. Goodbye my dear, Jennifer, I am so happy you are going to be alright. You gave me quite a scare and I'm too old for that. I will come see you tomorrow."

"Thank you for everything Ducky. I'm sure you held Jethro together yesterday. We love you."

Jen was now unplugged and unattached from all but one monitor. She looked very small even in a hospital bed. Jethro looked longingly at her in the bed and she read his mind.

"I'm sure there is room for you if you want to join me." Jen said with a wicked grin on her face as she scooted over to the side of the bed. "Just take off your shoes first."

Jethro didn't have to be asked twice. He turned off the lights and pulled the curtain around the bed then climbed in and laid on his back. Jen snuggled up with her head on his chest and her arm around his midsection. He had one arm around the back of her shoulders and the other hand on her hip holding her closely to his warm body. Jen raised her head and kissed him softly on the mouth before settling back on his chest.

"Do you want to tell me what you and Ducky talked about?"

"Yes, I do but I don't want to hurt you."

"Hey, you won't hurt me. I know something has been eating at you; causing you to not be yourself. If you have figured out what it was and have fixed it then I'm happy for you and for myself. I want my Jethro back. I need him back. My life isn't the same when you're not here. In fact, life isn't all that interesting or appealing to me without you."

Jethro kissed her hair and pulled her just a little closer. Then he told her everything he and Ducky had talked about. When he was finished he just held onto her and let her hold onto him like she had done for years whenever he was fighting the demons of his past.

END

A/N: I was sorely tempted to have Jen die in the end but I couldn't do it. Hopefully this is a satisfying ending for those of you who have been reading along. Thank you for all the reviews and alerts.


	8. Chapter 8

Usual disclaimers apply.

**Scenes From A Marriage**

**V. Coming Home Drunk**

Dr. Donald Mallard pulled his car into the driveway of the Gibbs residence and stopped near the front door. He reached over and gently nudged his semi-sleeping passenger.

"Jethro you're home. Time to get out and face the music."

"Do I have to?" Special Agent Jethro Gibbs sounded more like a ten year old in trouble than a decorated Marine sniper and NCIS senior agent.

"Well yes, my friend you do. I have plans tonight with Jordan and no, you cannot accompany me."

"She's gonna hurt me Duck." It was really more of a whine than a statement.

"You should have considered that when you went against her wishes tonight. I distinctly heard Jennifer tell you she didn't want you to go with Fornell. She told you she wanted you at home tonight."

"He's my friend and he needed me." Weak though it was, it was really his only defense.

"And Jennifer is your wife! What was so important that you and Tobias had to get drunk together?"

"Diane." Jethro spat out the name of his, and Tobias', ex-wife like it was poison.

"Well, then I understand your decision."

That brightened Jethro's expression considerably, "Great, then you'll come in and explain it to Jen."

"Absolutely not! I understand why you felt you needed to help Tobias but I have no desire to face the wrath of your very lovely, but sometimes very sinister wife. If you feel strongly about your choice just go in there and explain it to her like a man." By now Ducky was almost laughing at the pained expression on his friend's face.

"How am I going to do that, I'm stone drunk!"

"You have a point there. Really Jethro, barring the use of weapons, which of course is not completely ruled out, I'm sure you can take care of yourself. After all, Jennifer is what, 5'8'' and maybe 110 lbs. You're a highly trained federal agent almost twice her size. How is she going to hurt you, really?"

"She's going to cut me off Duck." The dejected look on his face and the mournful tone of his voice had Ducky unable to hold back a laugh.

"It's not funny, you don't know how she can be when she is withholding. It can get pretty ugly, I'll tell you."

"Oh my, well I understand your distress. But isn't that punishment for her as well?"

"I'd like to think so but it doesn't seem to bother her. I think she likes to torture me. Won't you at least come in with me?" The little boy, begging voice was back.

"No Jethro I will not. You will be fine. She can't resist you and your charming ways forever. Just go in there and apologize and be remorseful and I'm sure by Monday morning everything will be fine."

"Ducky, it's only Friday night!"

Ducky reached across the car and opened Jethro's door and almost literally shoved him out onto the driveway. "Jethro I really have to go or I will have woman problems of my own. Go on. Give Jen my….no never mind, don't even tell her I brought you home. Goodbye my friend and good luck."

Ducky drove away as soon as Jethro was clear of the car. For a long time Jethro stood on the porch with his hand on the doorknob and his head resting on the door. He tried to clear his mind but the copious amounts of bourbon he had swallowed in the past few hours made that impossible. He was clear enough to know Jen was going to be really unhappy with him which meant he was going to be really unhappy for an extended period of time. If it hadn't caused so much pain in his face he would have laughed at himself. Here he was a decorated Marine, an award winning Federal Agent who had stared death in the face many times and walked away and he was afraid of a 110 pound woman. Well, a 110 pound redheaded woman who happened to be a highly trained federal agent herself, to be more precise. That did make a difference in his experience.

Finally an overwhelming urge to use the bathroom compelled Jethro to enter the house. Thank god she didn't lock the door! He went straight to the downstairs bathroom happy that Jen was nowhere in sight when he came through the door. He had spent so much time on the porch that any delay, no matter how short, would have had very embarrassing results. After relieving himself he splashed some cold water on his face and looked at his sorry self in the mirror. Two thoughts made their way sluggishly through his brain, Tobias owed him big time and it was going to be a very long, and lonesome weekend.

Upstairs in the master bedroom Jennifer Sheppard was well aware her husband was home. She had seen the headlights of the car when they drove in and she knew it was Ducky who had deposited Jethro's sorry butt in the driveway. Jen was not as angry as Jethro imagined her to be but she was still fairly put out by his behavior. She had specifically told him she wanted to spend the evening at home tonight, just the two of them. It had been several weeks since they had been able to have an entire weekend including Friday night together. Between her hectic schedule and his caseload they hadn't seen much of each other lately. Why he had to spend their first Friday night off in months with Tobias Fornell was beyond her comprehension. The fact that those two shared an ex-wife was almost too ridiculous to think about. Add to that the fact that Diane blamed her for Diane and Jethro breaking up and anyone could understand why she was not happy with her husband tonight.

Judging by the length of time it was taking Jethro to get upstairs, Jen figured he must be pretty drunk. At least she had the satisfaction of knowing he would feel like crap in the morning. She was still debating with herself how she was going to deal with his transgression. She knew Jethro would be expecting her to cut him off and maybe even make him sleep in the guest room. She had used that tactic once before and achieved very good results. Unfortunately, as Ducky had pointed out to Jethro, cutting him off also cut herself off. Not her favorite choice. The other option she was considering was just the opposite. She was thinking of completely ignoring his condition, the lateness of the hour and fact that he had so blatantly disregarded her wishes. If she welcomed him home, offered him aspirin and generally took care of him, he would be so off balance and so ridiculously grateful, she could easily end the weekend with the new leather couch and chair she had been coveting for the past six months.

Having made her decision, Jen stepped out of the bedroom just as Jethro made it to the top of the stairs. Seeing him standing there looking so miserable and contrite, she knew she had chosen the right approach. She had to admit that she had enjoyed a quiet evening at home, soaking in a bubble bath and catching up on all her feminine pampering routines. She couldn't really be angry with him as she watched him try to focus on her and figure out if she was going to help him to the bedroom or push him back down the stairs.

"Hi." Jethro finally managed to croak out a greeting.

"Hi yourself. Did you and Tobias get his problem all worked out?"

"Not gonna happen. At least not until Emily is grown. You're not mad at me?" Even in his foggy condition Jethro was suspicious.

"No, I'm not mad. I was earlier but I'm over it. After all, Tobias is your friend and you are the only one who can really relate to his problem. Come on, Jethro, let's get you to the bedroom before you fall down."

"Jenny, I really love you, you know that right?"

"Yes, I know that. And I really love you too."

Jen led him to the bathroom and turned on the shower while Jethro attempted to get undressed. When she turned back around he was just standing there staring off into space so she got his clothes off and guided him to the shower.

"I'm going down to make you some coffee. Don't drown in there, okay?"

"Okay." Jethro leaned against the shower wall and let the nice hot water and steam work its magic. A very small part of his brain was trying to figure out why Jen was being nice to him. He decided he didn't really care because if he was lucky she was going to get in the shower with him and failing that, he at least was going to be sleeping with her instead of in the guest room. The why's of that arrangement didn't really interest him.

Jen returned to the bathroom and passed Jethro a cup of coffee in the shower. She declined his invitation to join him. Instead she brushed her teeth, set out Jethro's toothbrush, turned down the bed and settled in on her side with a book and remnants of her glass of wine from earlier in the evening.

Jethro emerged from the shower only after all the hot water was used up. He toweled himself dry and realized he was beginning to feel almost human again. He brushed his teeth, took three Tylenol and pulled on some boxers Jen had left on the counter for him.

Standing in the doorway of the bedroom he watched Jen fighting sleep while she waited for him. The book she was about to fall off her lap and her head was falling forward. Jethro wondered for the umpteenth time how he had gotten so lucky as to have a woman like Jennifer Sheppard in love with him.

When he sat down on his side of the bed, Jen roused enough to put her book aside and turn off the lamp on the bedside table. She scooted down in the bed and rolled over to lay on top of Jethro. He may have come home drunk as a skunk but Jethro was certainly sober enough now and Jen didn't intend to waste anymore of their Friday night. Much later, tangled in her husband's loving embrace, Jen fell asleep thinking how nice that leather couch was going to look in their living room.

END


	9. Chapter 9

**Scenes From a Marriage**

**V No Words Needed**

In the master bedroom of a comfortable Washington DC residence an NCIS agent is thoroughly and happily seducing his boss. The evening had begun with a quiet dinner which included most of a bottle of moderately priced but very tasteful wine. The main course had been over for a while and the couple had spent considerable time afterward kissing and touching and very slowly making their way from the dining room to the bedroom. A trail of clothing littered the downstairs hall, stairway and upper hallway leading to the master bedroom. A pair of very high heels, the man's shirt and undershirt, the lady's blouse, skirt and bra and finally the man's shoes and trousers lay scattered along the carpeted floors.

Not long ago the agent and his boss had reached the bedroom after their slow, pleasure filled journey. He kicked the door closed effectively shutting out the wider world that included all those who wanted a piece of the woman and her time and her energy. Now she was all his. And he was all hers. There would be no one who needed to be rescued or arrested tonight. No one else mattered; no one else existed for the next several hours.

The conversation in the room consisted mainly of the small voices of intimacy that couples use to express their desires and their pleasure. This man and woman had never needed words anyway. His touch told her how much he wanted her and his kiss told her everything else she needed to know. When she reached for him and wrapped around him no words could have made a difference. They moved together with an intimacy that expressed the love and appreciation and respect they felt for each other. Braced above her, looking into her face as she came completely undone beneath him the man knew once again that he would never understand how he managed to capture this woman and hold onto her for over ten years. And as the woman pulled him down and claimed his mouth in a deeply sensual kiss she knew she would always want him and always need him just as much as she did tonight.

The seduction had not been particularly difficult of course because the beautiful red head was already in love with the handsome, blue eyed agent. She had been for a very long time. But still…she enjoyed the effort he put into these evenings. Particularly this evening.

If some unseen observer had been listening to or watching this intimate evening they would have witnessed the agent talking to his beautiful boss in hushed tones full of passion and almost reverential care. They would have seen the gentle way he caressed her face and kissed her slender neck. They might have been able to see the fire in his blue eyes as he ran his hands through her red hair and down her back. Maybe they could have seen the deep love shining in her green eyes as she smoothed her hands lovingly up his broad chest. If the observer had been close enough they could have felt the heat emanating from the couple as he wrapped the woman in a gentle embrace and kissed her deeply until neither of them had any breath left. Perhaps they would have heard the woman moan softly as he cupped her breasts and whispered in her ear his undying love for her.

What the unseen observer would not have witnessed was the sheer terror that the man and the woman had lived through earlier in the day. They would never know the stark fear the woman felt when she was taken against her will and held by men who threatened to kill her. They would not have seen the pain she was forced to experience but chose to ignore. No one could ever see the raw and terrible sense of helplessness the man felt when he knew she was taken. Any observer would have seen the man acting as though it was just another case; they could not see the almost paralyzing anxiety he was so good at covering up.

Not even the loving couple now lying tangled together in the master bedroom of the comfortable home could really describe what they felt today. Neither of them could put into words what it felt like to realize it could have all ended today. There were no words for the woman to describe the overwhelming sadness she felt at the thought of never seeing the blue eyed man again. The man had no words to describe the terrible rage that gripped him when he thought about the beautiful woman being taken from him.

But then they never needed words anyway.

End


	10. Chapter 10

**Scenes from a Marriage**

**VI The Last Razor**

Jennifer Sheppard stood on the back deck and called to her husband who was finishing up the yard work. "Jethro, we need to leave in about forty-five minutes. I'm going in to get ready."

"Okay, I'll be up in a few minutes." Jethro Gibbs put away the last of the lawn equipment and sat on the deck finishing his beer. It took Jen five times longer to get ready than it did him so he knew he had plenty of time. Besides they were just going to Ducky's for supper, it wasn't like he had to get all dressed up.

While Jethro was finishing his beer, Jen stepped into the shower upstairs and discovered she didn't have a razor. Stepping back out she grabbed Jethro's razor from the counter. She reminded herself to replace the blade with a new one when she was finished. Fifteen minutes later, showered, shaved and shampooed, Jen stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her hair then dried herself off. She reached in the drawer to get a replacement blade for Jethro's razor and found….an empty box. 'Oh crap, he's going to be mad' she thought with a wicked smile. Oh well, too late now.

By the time Jethro came into the bedroom Jen was dressed in a pair of navy blue, linen walking shorts and a cream colored summer blouse. She was sitting at her dressing table brushing her now dry hair.

"Oooh you look nice and you smell even better." Jethro expressed his admiration for his wife with a quick kiss to the top of her head as he stood behind her.

"Thank you, but don't touch me, your hands are dirty."

"Never bothered you before." The famous smirk was firmly in place as he pretended he was going to grab her.

Jen turned on him quickly putting some distance between them. "Jethro Gibbs if you put your grimy hands on me I'll make you regret it." The smile on her face defeated her attempt at a serious reprimand.

"Okay, I'll go take a shower; then I'll put my hands on you."

Jen seriously considered leaving the bedroom and avoiding the whole issue of the used razor but decided it might be fun to get Jethro just a little bit riled up. She finished her make up and pinned up her hair. Then she heard the water go off and the shower door open. 'Here it comes' she thought. Moments later she was proven correct.

"Dammit Jenny!!"

Jethro appeared in the doorway between the bathroom and the bedroom. He had a towel around his waist and his hair was all mussed from the towel drying he had administered. Beads of water clung to the hair on his chest and Jen thought he was about the best looking, sexiest thing she'd ever seen; even with that scowl on his handsome face. He was holding up his razor and walked right up to where Jen was now standing at the end of the bed. His blue eyes were sparkling and looked just a little bit dangerous. He didn't scare Jen of course; she loved it when he was fired up especially if he wasn't wearing anything but a little ole bath towel!

"Can you please explain to me why you have to use my last razor? Don't you have all that kind of stuff of your own? What is all that stuff you have in the shower anyway?"

Jen just stood there and looked at him. She could have explained that she forgot to buy razors on Wednesday when she ran into the store for a few items. She could have told him she usually kept plenty in the drawer with all her other "stuff" but somehow she just ran out. Maybe she could have explained that she didn't mean to use his last one but the box in the drawer was empty when she went to change it out for him. She could have said all that but instead she just stood there smiling at him. When he started to say something else she very quickly stopped him with two perfectly manicured fingers on his lips.

Then she put one foot up on the end of the bed and reached out to take his wrist in her hand. Never taking her eyes off his she laid his hand on her ankle and then slowly guided his hand up her leg, over her firm calf muscle, over the top of her knee and finally to her thigh. She let his hand slide up her thigh, under her shorts to linger just outside Jethro's favorite place. With his hand under hers still softly gripping her inner thigh, she leaned into him and kissed him tenderly on the mouth.

"Do you like how that feels, Jethro?" The question was barely audible to him because the blood was pounding so loudly in his head.

"Yeah," was the extent of his reply.

"That's why I had to use your last razor." Jen kissed him again, lowered her foot to the floor and gave him his hand back.

Jethro just stood there looking at his wife for a few long moments. He knew she thought she had him this time. True, he was practically speechless but just give him a minute and he'd be alright. He certainly didn't care about the damn razor now; she was right about that part of her strategy. But….he had to have some kind of comeback He couldn't just let her run his hand up her leg and give him a couple of hot kisses and think she'd won. No way. Suddenly the rebuttal came to his mind. It was Sunday afternoon and he hadn't shaved since Friday. All this flashed through his brain while Jen just kept standing there almost daring him to say anything else. 'Well', he thought, 'I'll show her.'

He reached down and grasped Jen's left hand drawing it up and kissing each knuckle in turn. His crystal blue eyes never left her gorgeous green ones. After kissing her he laid her hand on his cheek and slowly rubbed it over his two days of stubble.

"Do you like how that feels, Jen?" Jethro figured he had her; beaten at her own game.

"Yes, very much," she purred as she nipped at his earlobe.

Jethro just turned around and went back to the bathroom to get dressed.

END


	11. Chapter 11

**Scenes From A Marriage**

**VII What Have You Done?**

Jethro Gibbs walked into his house on a Wednesday evening carrying a bouquet of flowers. They were nothing spectacular, just an arrangement of daisies and carnations and a couple of roses in a plain vase. He took the flowers into the kitchen and added water to the vase before setting them on his wife's desk in the office. Then he went upstairs, changed his clothes, came back down for a beer and then disappeared into the basement to work on his latest project. He was well into his third beer and concentrating on the cabinet he was building when he heard the front door open and close and Jen announce she was home.

"I'm in the basement" he called up to her.

"Okay."

He put the tools down and waited. He heard her moving around upstairs, heard her go into the office and then,

"Jethro what have you done now?" Jen hollered down to him from the hallway.

"What do you mean?" He was smirking and waiting; waiting for her to descend into his sanctuary and accuse him of not playing well with others in the alphabet soup that was DC.

"I mean, who did you piss off today?" She was halfway down the stairs, a beer in each hand and a very suspicious look on her beautiful face.

"What makes you think I pissed anyone off? Did you hear of me doing anything wrong today, Director?" He reached for one of the beers and wiped off the seat of the stool so she could sit down. She chose to stand.

"Don't you Director me, Jethro! No I didn't hear of you doing anything wrong but you never bring me flowers unless you've stepped in it somehow. Just tell me and let's get this over with."

"Jen, you wound me. Can't I just give you flowers because I love you and think you are the most beautiful woman on the planet?" He was standing impossibly close to her; so close he could hear her breathing. The urge to touch her almost overwhelmed him.

"Of course you can give me flowers because you love me. The issue is; you don't. Jethro what have you done?" She looked at him and could barely stand to keep her hands and her mouth to herself. She was determined not to be the one who gave in tonight. He was going to tell her what he'd done or else.

"I haven't done anything bad I promise. Why can't you believe me? Do I ever lie to you? I just wanted to give you flowers. If you don't want them, I'll give them to Noemi." Jethro gave in and leaned down to kiss her. He drew her to himself with a hand on the back of her neck and kissed her tenderly but with purpose. There was a reason for the flowers of course but he was hoping to convince her they were simply an expression of his love for her and get her to drop the issue. He probably should have simply told her but for some reason he just couldn't find the words.

Jen was beginning to feel a little bit bad for accusing him of having some ulterior motive. The thing was, he just didn't bring her flowers for no reason. In the almost eleven years they had been married he had done it exactly three times before. However, he had brought her flowers or some other peace offering at least a dozen times when he needed to get back on her good side after screwing up something at work. Naturally she was skeptical of his denials tonight. Something in his tone though had her backing off and accepting what he was saying.

"No, you don't lie to me. Thank you for the flowers, Jethro. They're lovely." She put her beer down and wrapped her arms around his waist laying her head on his chest. His hand came up and stroked through her hair and down her back. They stood like that for a long time, soaking up each other's love and warmth.

Hours later Jen came out of the bathroom to find Jethro sitting on the side of the bed with is head in his hands. She sat down next to him and began rubbing his back gently. Something was wrong; she knew it as sure as she knew her name. Their years together had taught her to be patient and be present and Jethro would eventually tell her what he needed her to know.

He didn't look up and when he started talking his voice was thick with emotion. "I love you Jen. I got you the flowers because I love you more than I can ever tell you. I was at the cemetery today because it's Shannon's birthday and I took flowers to the grave. While I was there I realized that I almost never give you flowers but I take them out there several times a year. It just struck me that I wanted to give you flowers too. All these years we've been together and you never get flowers just because. You deserve so much more than I can ever give you."

Jen wiped the tears from her face and pulled his face around to look at her. "Jethro, you show me every day, many times a day how much you love me. Flowers are all you can do for Shannon now, I understand that. Thank you for wanting to give me some too. Don't ever think you are letting me down or shortchanging me because you don't. You are the best man I have ever known and I consider myself very blessed to have you in my life. I'm sorry I badgered you about the flowers. I should have just accepted them and said thank you. Forgive me?"

Jethro pulled Jen down onto the bed with him and kissed her until neither of them had any breath left. He brushed his fingers over her lips and smiled down at her. "Nothing to forgive. You had every right to wonder. After all, I was out with Fornell all afternoon. Who knows what might have happened."

END


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**--Just a little something that has been rattling around in my head. Hope you like. Reviews are appreciated; not required but appreciated.

**Scenes From A Marriage**

**VIII Expect the Unexpected**

Jethro Gibbs was exhausted but in a good way. He has spent the entire day sailing and as he headed home all he wanted was a hot shower, a cold beer and to wrap himself around Jenny. When he pulled in the driveway he noticed Ducky's car and wondered what he was doing there. He hoped he hadn't forgotten some dinner plans or something. After giving that a quick thought he knew he hadn't because Jen hadn't said anything when he left this morning about being back at a certain time. Jethro parked in the garage and entered the house by the back door calling out to Jen.

"Jen, I'm back." He walked through the kitchen and met Ducky coming from the living room. "Hey, Duck. Where's Jen? You here for supper?" Then he realized there was no supper cooking and Ducky had a very serious look on his face. "What's wrong? What's happened, Duck? Where's Jen?" The questions were rapid fire now and Jethro was moving past Ducky toward the stairs.

Ducky reached out and grasped Jethro by the arm. "Jethro, stop and listen to me."

Now frantic with dread, Jethro pulled his arm away but stopped. He looked at his best friend with fear in his eyes and the good doctor knew the next few minutes were going to be very difficult. "Please tell me she's alright. Please, Duck. Tell me what's going on."

"Jethro, Jennifer is upstairs resting. Come sit down with me for a few minutes. I promise you she is upstairs."

Jethro hesitated but because he trusts Ducky as much as he does Jen he went with his friend to the kitchen and sat down at the table. "Okay, I'm listening."

"Jennifer called me about 3:00 saying she felt something was wrong and asking me to come over. She was afraid she was having another heart attack. And before you ask she wasn't. She said she had tried to call you but you didn't answer. I came over and checked her out. Her blood pressure and pulse were fine and her heart and lungs sounded very good. She was feeling light headed and a bit nauseous. I asked a few questions and we talked about how she has been feeling of late. She became very anxious the more we talked so I eventually gave her a very mild sedative to help her sleep."

"So what's wrong with her? And please don't tell me you can't say. I know Jen would tell you to tell me, right?"

Ducky looked at his friend long and hard. He was torn about whether or not to tell Jethro what Jen's condition was. His personal feeling was that it would be better for her to relay the information herself but she had been adamant that he could tell Jethro if her husband insisted on knowing. On the other hand, he wondered if maybe it would be good for Jethro to have some time to process the news before he talked to Jen. After all she was pretty upset by the news and very concerned about how her husband would take it. Something was going on there that Ducky didn't quite understand or want to get in the middle of.

"Yes, Jethro she gave me permission to tell you what's going on. However, I wonder if you wouldn't rather have Jennifer tell you."

"Not unless you want me to go up there and wake her up right this minute. If it's bad Ducky just tell me and let me deal with it. I'm assuming the worst here because of the way you're acting."

"I'm sorry my friend, I don't mean to alarm you. The news itself is not bad it's her reaction and her worries about your reaction that are a concern. Well that mostly, the news is a bit conc…."

"Dammit Ducky you have ten seconds and then I'm going up and find out from Jen!"

"She's pregnant."

Complete and utter silence fell over the room. The only hint of a sound was the hum of the refrigerator. Jethro stared at Ducky with total surprise all over his face. He blinked a few times and swallowed once or twice before he finally managed to speak.

"She's what?"

"She's pregnant, Jethro. With child. In a family way. You know, she's going to have a baby."

"Yeah, yeah I know what pregnant means. Why all the cloak and dagger? Why is she so upset. Isn't she happy about it? I don't get it Ducky. I mean it's a surprise but it's not a disease after all, it's a baby."

"Jennifer told me you two had a discussion about children just a few weeks ago and you were clear that you are happy with your life as it is and you didn't see any need for children at this stage of your marriage. She said this was a mutual understanding. She assured me that at the time of this discussion she had no idea she was pregnant. Jethro, she is worried that you don't want children and won't be happy about this baby that's coming."

"You can't be serious. Of course I'm happy. What could be better than having child with the woman I love with all my heart? Is she really afraid I won't want our child? Has she lost her mind?"

"I don't think she's lost her mind. As I said she mentioned the talk you two had recently. She is also concerned about her age and the fact that this is her first pregnancy at an age when it is considered somewhat more risky and she is a little worried about her heart attack last year."

"Well, what about those things? Is it too dangerous for her?"

"No, it's not. She is in excellent health; better than before the heart attack in fact. She is perfectly capable of carrying a child to term as far as I know. Of course she needs to see her OB/GYN as soon as possible. Her age will be a factor but there's no reason she can't have a safe pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby. Jethro my friend, I think Jennifer became overwrought today because she wasn't feeling well, she had verified her suspicions about the pregnancy this morning and she couldn't reach you. All of those things conspired to give her an anxiety attack. I suspect she will be perfectly fine when she sees you and that smile you have plastered on your face. I'm very happy for you both. Now go up and ease her mind."

"Thanks Duck. I don't know what we'd do without you." Jethro hugged his friend and walked him to the front door.

"You're welcome. You two are important to me Jethro. Have a good night and I'll see you on Monday. Call me if you need anything."

Jethro closed and locked the door then went to the kitchen to make Jen a cup of tea and himself a cup of coffee. Waiting for the water to heat up and the coffee to brew, he thought about all that Ducky had said. Yes, they had talked about children a few weeks ago and agreed it was okay that they didn't have any. Early in the marriage they had tried unsuccessfully to get pregnant and Jen was told she probably couldn't for some reason he didn't really remember. All Jethro knew was they never worried about birth control after that and that was fine with him. He would have been happy with children but if it wasn't to be then he could accept that. The important thing was they had each other and they were happy. Now things were going to change. Not the happily married part; just the home alone part. Not a bad idea Jethro thought as he picked up the cups and headed up to see the mother of his child.

He managed to get the door open without spilling either the tea or the coffee. Standing in the doorway he watched Jen sleeping. 'God, she's beautiful' he thought. He was just a tiny bit put out that she would think for even a moment he wouldn't be excited about a baby. Well, he'd just have to show her. While he was watching her Jen began to stir. She opened her eyes and stretched and when she turned toward the door she saw him standing there.

"Hey."

"Hey, beautiful. How are you feeling?" Jethro walked over and handed her the cup of tea before he sat down on the bed next to her.

"I'm fine. You talked to Ducky?"

"Yes." Jethro was looking at her trying to convey his overwhelming love for her.

"And?"

"And I'm a very happy man right now, Jen. God, I love you so much and I'm so happy about this baby. Are you okay with this? Do you want this?"

"I'm happy and scared and yes, of course I want this. I want it very much. I love you Jethro, you know that. I just got so freaked out this morning and then I started thinking about what we talked about last month. I just let my imagination run away with me. And I worry a little bit about my age and my health but Ducky said I have nothing to worry about. Older women are having babies all the time and I'll be fine. And we can still go to Paris next month like we planned. Work will have to be managed differently in a few months but I can handle that too. Maybe I'll resign and stay home for a few years. It will be wonderful. I'm very excited Jethro. Just think after all this time we're going to have a baby."

Jethro sat on the side of the bed and grinned at his babbling wife. "Jen, baby take a breath." He put his cup down and took hers and put it on the table. He stood up and shed his shoes, shirt and pants and motioning for her to move over, he laid down on the bed and wrapped his arms around her pulling her almost on top of himself. "I love you so much I can hardly stand it. You are going to be the most wonderful mother ever."

The couple laid on the bed together for a long time without speaking. They had never really needed words to communicate with each other and this evening was no different. Jen could feel the love and excitement Jethro felt about the baby just from his embrace and the way he was touching her. Jethro knew from Jen's steady breathing and the way she was tracing little circles on his chest that she was relaxed and happy.

Finally, Jen shimmied up Jethro's nice firm body and kissed him passionately. "Why didn't you answer your phone today, babe?"

Jethro let his fingers dance around on her back as he answered. "I lost it. It's on the bottom of the Potomac."

Jen looked up, skepticism all over her face, "How did you lose it in the Potomac?"

"I guess it fell out of my pocket when I got in the water to cool off." He didn't look the least bit concerned. And why should he really; he went through phones like Jen went through high heels; regularly and at great expense.

"You mean you actually got in the Potomac River? No wonder you smell. Jethro, go take a shower. Right now. I can't believe you got in our bed after being in that river."

"I took my clothes off. And you weren't exactly complaining when I got in here."

"Well, I'm complaining now. Go on, go take a shower while I change these sheets."

"Nope. You go get in the shower, I'll change the sheets and then I'll join you."

"You sure? Is this how I'm going to be treated during the entire pregnancy?"

"You just go get in that shower and I'll be glad to show you how you're going to be treated. Then I'll show you some more on nice clean sheets."

END


	13. Chapter 13

**Scenes From a Marriage**

**IX What About Us?**

Jethro Gibbs attached the last clamp to the rail of the baby bed he was building and laid the piece aside. The bed was almost finished; when this rail section was complete all he had left to do was apply the finish and put it all together in the nursery. With the baby not due for three more months he had plenty of time to get this and the dresser he was building finished. The room had already been painted and the floor redone. A friend of Abby's had painted two murals on the walls; one of friendly, colorful jungle animals and on the opposite wall, an underwater scene complete with a coral reef, fish and dolphins. She had even included a sailboat on the surface. Slowly but surely he and Jen were getting ready for their addition.

Jethro went upstairs, fixed himself a sandwich then took his lunch to the living room to watch the ballgame. Jen was out shopping for baby stuff with Ziva and Abby so he had no idea when she would be home. Not for hours was his best estimate. The game wasn't even close and Jethro found his mind wandering back over the last six months. From the day Ducky told him Jen was pregnant until this very moment Jethro had rarely stopped smiling, at least inwardly. He had never expected to be a father again and this very surprising pregnancy was like a dream come true. They had been worried at first because of Jen's age and this being her first baby but so far both she and the baby were in excellent health. Jen was taking every precaution regarding her health and her stress level and had been rewarded with excellent checkups from the doctor.

When Jen was four months along they had gone to Paris for their anniversary and had a wonderful time. They spent five glorious days and nights reliving the good times they had shared there many years before. The sights were much the same but they both agreed their accommodations had certainly improved. Of course this time they spent much less time watching the people around them, instead concentrating on the city itself and each other. The day they were due to fly home Jethro had surprised Jen with another five days away. They went to Vienna then to Venice and Florence. Those were three cities Jen had always wanted to see and Jethro decided now was the time to do it. They had a very enjoyable vacation made even better by the fact that Jen had felt great the whole time. It seemed that pregnancy agreed with her.

Finished with his lunch and bored watching television, Jethro decided to go to Home Depot to pick up the hardware for the dresser and baby bed. He took his plate and glass to the kitchen and left a note for Jen on the table. Calling her would mean interrupting three women shopping and he knew better than to do that. Besides he expected to be home long before she was anyway.

Two hours later Jethro returned home and went straight to the basement to work on the baby's dresser. After working for almost an hour he went upstairs to get a drink and noticed Jen's purse and some packages in the living room. He wondered if he'd missed them when he came home or if Jen had come home and he hadn't heard her. He called out for her but she didn't answer. Curious and maybe just a little worried he made his way upstairs in search of his wife. When he didn't find her in their bedroom he started for the nursery and when he turned in that direction he saw Jen coming from there. One look told him something was wrong.

"Jen, what's the matter? You've been crying. Are you alright?" Jethro met her in the hallway and reached for her hand.

"I'm fine Jethro." Jen tried to go past him but Jethro blocked the way and gently brushed her face with his fingertips.

"Then why have you been crying? Did something happen while you were out?"

"Nothing happened. I'm just tired I guess. Please don't worry, it's nothing."

Jethro wasn't buying it. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. She responded by wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest. Despite her best efforts, as soon as Jethro enveloped her in his gentle embrace the tears started anew. Jethro leaned back just enough to see she was crying again. This had been happening more frequently lately and he had been putting it down to the pregnancy hormones but now he began to wonder if something was going on that he didn't know about.

"Come on babe, let's go sit down." Jethro led Jen back to their bedroom and motioned for her to sit on the bed. He went into the bathroom to get her a drink of water and a cool washcloth. When he returned to the bed, Jen was wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath trying to regain control of her emotions. He handed her the water and the cloth for her face.

"Thank you. I'm sorry to worry you Jethro. Really, I'm fine. I don't know what's come over me today." Jethro sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders drawing her closer to his side. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"Jen, you have been crying a lot lately and I think it's more than just hormones or whatever. Practically ever since we got back from Europe in fact, it seems like you're upset or worried about something. Please talk to me and tell me what's going on."

"Oh, it's just some crazy pregnant woman thoughts. Nothing important. Hopefully they'll pass pretty soon." Jen tried to pass her feelings off in a light-hearted way but Jethro wasn't falling for it.

"It is important or you wouldn't be sitting in the nursery crying, Jen. You know how I feel about you crying. Please, tell me."

Jen sat up and moved away from Jethro's side to sit against the headboard. She took a couple of deep breaths and looked at her husband. She could see his concern plainly written on his face. She knew better than to try and fool him, he was too good at reading her and he always knew when she was trying to get around the truth. Problem was, this time she was afraid of his reaction to what was bothering her. She hated herself for even having these thoughts and she feared he would too.

"Jen?"

"Jethro, I don't want to tell you because I'm afraid you will hate me."

"Never happen. I love you, Jen. You know that and you know you can tell me anything. After all these years you should also know that no matter what you tell me it won't change how I feel about you."

Jen covered her face with her hands. After a few moments Jethro gently took her wrists and pulled her hands down. He scooted closer to her and holding her hands in his he leaned in and kissed her softly. He sat back and keeping hold of her hands he rubbed his thumbs back and forth on her knuckles. Jen knew he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I don't want to hurt you Jethro."

"Baby it hurts me to see you crying and not know why, not be able to help you. I promise you, whatever you have to say I won't get mad and I certainly won't hate you."

"Okay, here goes. You know I had a wonderful, unforgettable time in Europe. After we got back and I was telling everyone how much fun we had and how fabulous it was to travel around without a care in the world I realized we won't be able to do that again for a very long time. I began to think about all the things that will change for us when we have a child. And I began to very selfishly ask myself, what about us, what about our lifestyle and all the time we have with each other. All that will change. Basically I started wondering how I would adjust to all the changes and how I felt about having to share you with a child. I began to question how I feel about giving up what we have together. Sometimes I wonder if I really want to have a baby. I feel so selfish and horrible for thinking that Jethro. How can I be thinking like that about our child?"

Jen pulled her hands away from Jethro's grasp and covered her face as the tears began to fall again. She had seen the hurt look in his eyes as she was talking and now she wondered what he would say.

Jethro was stunned by what Jen said, not because of her feelings exactly but because she had been so afraid to tell him what she was feeling and thinking. He had to admit he had asked himself some of those same questions over the past few months. Again, he pulled her hands down and kissed her, this time with a little more purpose than last time. He wanted her to know he wasn't angry or hurt. When he pulled away from the kiss, Jethro brushed her tears away with his thumb and smiled at her.

"You are not selfish or horrible, Jen. You are going to be a great mom and these thoughts and questions you have are no different than what I've asked myself dozens of times in the past six months. I know our lives are going to change and I know some of that I might not like at first. We're spoiled by being able to come and go and do what we want whenever we want to and that is going to change. But it will be worth it, I promise. Our love won't go away it will only get stronger when we have a baby. Besides, it will be a while before we have to give up making out anywhere in the house we happen to get the urge!"

Jen playfully punched him in the shoulder but her smile told him she felt better already.

"I do want this baby, you have to believe that Jethro. I just don't know if I'm ready for what it will mean to have a child in the house."

"That's okay, the baby won't be here for a few more months and trust me, by the time he or she comes, you'll be more than ready to have a child in the house and not in you."

They sat together on the bed holding each other for several minutes until Jethro pulled away and sat back. He reached out and ran his hands through Jen's hair and kissed her deeply. Then he leaned down and placed a series of kisses on her swollen belly. He smiled up at his wife and reminded her that he loved her and their child more than anything on the planet.

"Come on downstairs and show me what you bought today. Then I'll fix you some supper and after that I'll give you a foot massage. Okay?"

"How can I resist that?" Jen stood up and they started downstairs. "You wouldn't believe how excited Abby was about buying baby stuff, Jethro. I swear you'd think she was having this baby herself she's so over the moon. Just picking out bottles was a major exercise."

"Please tell me Abby didn't decide what bottle our child is going to use."

Jen laughed and pulled him down on the couch amid all the packages. "No, I decided but I have to tell you she did extensive research on the subject. Several pages of research in fact."

"How hard can it be?"

"Are you kidding me? There is an entire wall in Babys-R-Us devoted just to bottles. It's mind boggling."

"So, how did you decide? You didn't take the time to read all Abby's research did you?"

"No, I let her give her opinion and then I asked a woman who was there buying some for her sister. This woman told me she had three children of her own so I got her opinion. Luckily for me, she happens to use the same one Abby suggested. That made the decision much easier, I'll tell you. Abby was thrilled!"

"So what else did you get?" Jethro was peaking in all the packages looking for something that looked like fun.

"Just some crib sheets, bibs, and blankets. You know it would be easier to shop if we knew what we were having." Jen looked at him with raised eyebrows and a sly grin on her face.

"If you want to know just call Dr. Gray, I'm sure she'd be happy to tell you. But I thought you wanted to be surprised."

"I did. I do. Oh I don't know. Are you sure you want to wait?"

"I want to be surprised but if you want to know I certainly won't stop you. You think you could find out and not tell me?"

"Very funny, Jethro. Of course I couldn't. I may be good at keeping a secret but that would be too much. Let's wait. It will be more fun, I agree. What about names? Have you been thinking about that?"

"Yes, I have. Come on, let's go fix supper and talk about it in the kitchen, I'm starving."

They picked up the things that would need to be laundered and Jethro dropped them off in the laundry room on the way to the kitchen. Jen took the bottles and liners to the kitchen and put them away in the pantry for now. Jethro fixed Jen a cup of tea and she sat at the table while he reheated some leftover beef stew from the night before.

"I was thinking we could name a boy after Ducky, maybe the middle name at least. And for a girl maybe after your mom."

"Yes, Ducky should be included after all he's done for us. I would love to use my mother's name for a girl. What about Kelly for a middle name?"

Jethro stopped what he was doing and after a moment's pause he turned to face her. His eyes shone with unshed tears. "Yes, I'd like that. Thank you."

Jen stood up and went to him and kissed away his tears. "You're welcome. I love you Jethro. Now what goes with Donald for a first name? What about your dad's name?"

"Jackson Donald Gibbs. He would be honored and I like it if you do. Elizabeth Kelly Gibbs. I like that too. What do you think?" Jethro set their food on the table and poured himself a glass of water then sat down.

"I like them both and it's too bad we will only be able to use one of them."

"Well you know we could always shoot for another one." He had a wicked grin on his face and Jen almost choked on her first bite of food.

"Don't be ridiculous. We're pressing our luck this time, Jethro. Besides, I know it's the 'trying' you enjoy the most."

"And you don't?"

"I didn't say that. But…"

"I know, I was just kidding. I'm thrilled we've been given this blessing. Either way, boy or girl, I'll be more than happy."

Twenty minutes later supper was finished and the kitchen put in order for the night. Jethro followed Jen upstairs and he took a quick shower while she got ready for bed. When he came back into the bedroom Jen was sitting up in bed reading. He took a few moments to admire his wife; he never got tired of looking at her, watching her do whatever she was doing. It didn't matter what it was he always found her beautiful and desirable. He always wondered how he got so lucky.

"Ready for that foot rub?"

"Definitely. But could you rub my back for a while first?" Jen slipped off her top and got comfortable braced with a pile of pillows.

"Sure." Jethro rubbed her back until she was completely relaxed and almost asleep. Turning over she slipped her top back on and sat back against the headboard so Jethro could give her the foot rub she had been thinking about since she came home from shopping.

"Jethro, I hope you won't be worrying about what I said earlier. I am excited about the baby and I don't regret for a moment that we are going to be parents. I love you so much and I didn't mean to hurt you with my silly fears."

Jethro scooted up and sat next to Jen. He put his arm around her shoulders and snuggled her against his chest. He rubbed his hand back and forth across her belly gently caressing her and the baby. "I'm not hurt, babe. I know you're anxious and I don't blame you for being a little bit unsure about all this. We are pretty settled in our lives and a baby will change a lot of that. But it will be better than anything you can imagine, I promise. When they hand you that tiny little person for the first time you will forget all your pain and worries and you will be completely taken over by our child. I can't wait to see the look on your face when that happens."

"Is that what happened with Shannon when Kelly was born?"

" Oh, yeah. To both of us. Just wait, it will happen for us too. I didn't know if I would be as excited this time but I am. I can hardly wait to see our baby and hold him or her and just smell that sweet baby smell."

When he looked at Jen he saw tears in her eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm just a waterworks today. I've never heard you talk like this before. In all our years together you've never talked about what it meant for you to have a child. It makes me sad in a way but so very happy that we have this chance. I hope the next three months go as smoothly as the last six have."

"Everything will go fine. No reason to think otherwise. You have taken great care of yourself and we are going to have a perfect little Gibblet as Abby says. Now, we both have an early day tomorrow so let's get some sleep, okay."

"Not until you kiss me goodnight and promise me you will be extra careful for the next three months."

Jethro looked at her and saw that she was dead serious. He knew she worried about him when he was out working and that was understandable. After all he did have a dangerous job. They rarely spoke about it but he knew that lately she had been a bit more anxious for him. He reached over and turned off the bedside light and they settled down in the bed. Then he kissed her a sweet, lingering kiss and held her in his arms and promised to be careful. A promise he surely hoped he could keep.

**A/N This was sort of a "filler" scene as I didn't want to go directly from the announcement of the pregnancy to the birth. Not my favorite piece of work but for some reason I haven't been inspired lately. Next will be the final trimester of the pregnancy and the birth. Stay tuned. And thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Scenes From a Marriage**

**X …And Baby Makes Three**

Jenny Shepard, almost eight months pregnant and feeling every day of it, finished loading the dishwasher, turned off the kitchen lights and headed upstairs to bed. It had been a long day at the end of a very long week. Even if she hadn't been pregnant she would have been exhausted by the week's activities. Between meetings with the heads of other federal agencies about national security issues and budget meetings with the Secretary of the Navy she also had to squeeze in running her own agency. Plus deal with Jethro demanding, for some unknown reason, that he had to finish the nursery this very week. Then today happened.

As she stepped into the doorway of their bedroom she saw Jethro sprawled on the bed sound asleep. His hair was still wet from the shower and he was clad only in pair of boxers featuring Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Her favorite pair. Jen stood looking at her husband and sighed heavily. He had killed someone today and contrary to what his team or other agents might think that was not something he took for granted. She knew all about the shooting and why it had happened and that he had had no choice in the matter but none of that made it any easier for him. She knew he was almost always the one to take the shot that would kill a suspect because he didn't want his agents to have to deal with everything that went along with that act. He tried to spare them, even Ziva, the inevitable questions and guilt that went along with taking the life of another human being. No doubt today had not been any different. They had all gone into the warehouse together but when the situation began to get out of control he made sure he was the one in position to take down the bad guy. The fact that his actions had saved the lives of a mother and her little boy would help tomorrow but tonight, all that had mattered was what he had done today.

Of course they didn't talk about all that when he came home. They never did. Not anymore. Years ago she had managed to get him to tell her about a shooting and had all but forced him to tell her how he felt about it. That was the one and only time she pushed him to talk about a killing. Now she didn't need to hear him say the words. She could look at him, read his body language and know what was happening behind those cool, blue eyes. Now she just made sure she was there when he got home; there with food and drink and comforting arms to hold him. Killing was something he was trained to do but not something he took lightly or that he wanted to; even when it involved bad guys.

Jen smiled at the image of Jethro so sound asleep. In truth he was probably more 'passed out' than asleep. He had been up until all hours every night this week and the case had consumed them all for the past three days. When he came home tonight he went straight to the basement and after they had eaten supper he said he was coming upstairs to do something in the nursery. That was where she had expected to find him when she came up but when she had looked in the newly redecorated and furnished room he wasn't there and she couldn't see that he had done anything in there. Seeing him sleeping, Jen went back to the nursery, turned on the mobile that hung over the baby bed, and sat in the rocking chair dreaming about their child. When the mobile ran down Jen reluctantly got up and went back to the bedroom.

Jethro was now snoring lightly. Jen changed into some comfy pajama pants and a top and settled on the bed to read. Once she was sitting comfortably against the headboard, pillows at her back, Jethro wriggled over next to her. He was on his side with his back against her hip. She reached over and ran her fingers lightly through his hair before settling her hand on his arm. He never moved and the snoring went right on. The book she was reading didn't hold her interest tonight. She found herself watching Jethro sleep and marveling at how much their lives had changed in the past few months. After almost twelve years of marriage they were going to have a baby. Jen looked down at her favorite person in the world and smiled. It never ceased to amaze her how much she loved this man. Even after all these years he still took her breath away.

Jen finally gave up and put her book on the bedside table and turned out the light. She wriggled down in the bed and tried to get comfortable by rearranging her pillows. Being this far along in the pregnancy it was getting more difficult by the week to find a good sleeping position. She was trying not to awaken Jethro but eventually her need for comfort overruled her good intentions and she had to nudge him to move over. He did finally, and she managed to get settled. As she was about to drift off she felt Jethro roll over and the next thing she knew he was kissing her.

"Hi."

"Hi yourself. I'm sorry if I woke you up but I have trouble getting fixed these days."

"It's okay. Anything I can do to help?"

Jen turned on her side so they were facing each other. "You could kiss me again."

"Gladly." Jethro traced his thumb across her lips before he leaned down and captured her mouth in a kiss that told her he needed more than just kissing tonight. "God Jen. I need you."

"I know. I'm right here Jethro. Let me take care of you tonight, okay."

His response was lost in her kiss and for the rest of the night he was lost in her loving him.

The next morning dawned clear and sunny so Jethro and Jen decided to take the boat out thinking it would probably be their last chance to go sailing before the baby came. Already, Jethro was a little nervous about being away from solid ground with Jen so far along. She overruled his concerns though and they had a glorious day on the water. Jethro was really in his element handling this boat and Jen loved to watch him sail her. She was so relaxed when they were sailing it was as if the world ceased to exist beyond the boat and the water around them. Of course having Jethro half naked in the sunshine was always a plus in her mind.

Monday intruded on them soon enough and it was back to the grind but only for two more weeks for Jen. They had agreed she would stop working two weeks before her due date just as a precaution and to give her time to "organize' everything at home. Jethro had no idea what else could possibly be organized but he wasn't about to argue with Jen and Neomi especially when Abby and Ziva joined the fray. Somewhere along the line he realized he had lost control of his household and that it was now being run exclusively by the women in his life. He secretly hoped this child was a boy; at least that would even his odds at home.

Her last two weeks at work were relatively quiet much to Jen's relief. Assistant Director Leon Vance had been assigned to act as her replacement during her maternity leave. He arrived the second week and they spent most of that last five days getting him up to speed on everything and everyone there. Jen hadn't told Jethro but she was seriously considering not going back to work after the baby was born so she paid close attention to Vance as a means of gauging his fitness for her job. She decided by Friday afternoon that he would probably do just fine there. Once he figured out how to deal with Jethro that was.

The next two weeks with Jen at home and Jethro working loomed as a significant challenge on the Monday he went back to work without her. By noon on Tuesday both Jen and Neomi were exhausted from answering the phone every time Jethro called to check up on Jen. She finally told him if he called again she was going to do him serious bodily harm when he got home; the kind of "harm" he would not enjoy. He didn't call again until he was on his way home.

On Wednesday of the second week Jen woke up with a feeling today would be the day. She didn't say anything to Jethro lest he refuse to leave the house. When Neomi arrived she helped Jen pack her bag for the hospital and took it downstairs to the foyer. Jen took a long, relaxing shower, shampooed and fixed her hair and gave herself a manicure. When Jethro called at noon she told him she thought it would be a good idea for him to come home. She sounded so calm he thought she just wanted them to have lunch together.

Lunch was not going to happen today however. By the time Jethro arrived at the house, Jen was having contractions regularly and increasingly close together. As he opened the front door, Neomi went past him carrying Jen's bag to the car.

"It is time Senor Gibbs. She is in the living room waiting for you."

Jethro stared after the housekeeper with his mouth open. "Neomi, what are you saying?"

Neomi looked at Jethro as if he were a child. She smiled at him and said, "The baby, Senor, the baby is coming. It's time to go to the hospital."

By this time Jen had managed to get to the door and she reached for Jethro's hand. He finally shook himself and realized what was happening.

"Damn, Jen I thought you just wanted to have lunch together. Why didn't you say something on the phone?" Jethro took Jen by the arm and helped her to the car.

As she settled on the seat Jen grinned at him and replied, "Because I didn't want you to kill yourself or someone else on the way over here. Besides, we have plenty of time, I think."

"You think? Have you been timing your contractions?"

"Well, of course. They're about four minutes apart right now."

"What?! Damn, Jen, do you want our baby to be born in the car?"

"Oh for heaven's sake Jethro calm down. Anyone would think you'd never done this before. Please slow down, you're making me nervous."

"Sorry. Are you feeling okay?"

"I feel fine. I'm excited and ready to see our baby."

Jethro reached for her hand as another contraction swept over her and she gripped it with a force Jethro was sure would only get stronger as the day went along.

They reached the hospital and while Jen was being situated in her room Jethro called Ducky to let him know what was happening. Doctors and nurses came in and checked Jen's progress and told them the baby was definitely on the way. Jen just rolled her eyes at that announcement and Jethro couldn't resist laughing.

Left alone in her room the nervous couple looked at each other and smiled happily. "We're finally going to be parents, Jen. I want you know I love you and no matter what you say to me in the next few hours I will still love you."

"Are you afraid I'm going to threaten you Jethro? Going to tell you to never touch me again?"

"Yeah something like that. But don't worry I won't take it personally."

"Okay. Oh, Jethro, I'm nervous. I can't believe in just a few hours we will finally see our baby." Just then a hard contraction hit Jen and she squeezed Jethro's hand forcefully.

Three hours and a severely bruised hand later, Jethro cut the umbilical cord and held his son for the first time. When he handed the baby to Jen he saw the realization of what they had done on her face and knew she was crazy in love with their son already. They examined each and every toe and finger before reluctantly handing him over to be cleaned, weighed and measured. A short time later the nurse handed baby Gibbs back to his beaming parents. He was now clean and wrapped securely in a soft blue blanket and sporting a blue knit cap.

Jen couldn't take her eyes off her son. She also couldn't stop saying "our son" every few minutes. Jethro sat and watched the two of them and knew there would never be a better day in his life as long as he lived. They both knew Jackson would be their only child which made him even more precious to them. Ducky was the first of the team to be introduced to the baby. Of course he cried when he was told the name they had chosen. After Ducky, the rest of the team was allowed in the room and they all ooohed and aaawed over the baby until Jethro finally threw them out two hours later.

The new parents spent the rest of the day napping and eating and taking turns holding their baby boy. When they finally gave up for the night Jethro sat on the side of the bed and kissed Jen goodnight.

"I love you, Jen. Thank you for giving me a son. You are going to be such a great mom, I can hardly wait to see you in action."

"Oh Jethro, I love you too. And you are very welcome but you do know you had something to do with all this too. I'm so happy for you to have a son, Jethro. You will be such a wonderful father. I feel like I'm living a dream right now. I love you so much."

"It's no dream Jen. That sweet little baby is very real and in a couple of hours he's going to hungry so why don't we get some sleep while we can. Goodnight, mom. I love you."

"Goodnight, I love you back."

Hours later, in the middle of the night, the new father was awakened, not by his newborn son but by his cell phone.

"Jen, I need to go help DiNozzo with a scene. I'm sorry. I'll be back in a couple of hours with some real coffee. I love you."

Jethro kissed his wife and son goodbye and quietly left the hospital room. The dream they were living was about to be shattered.

END

A/N: Sorry to leave you hanging. Not really but anyway, the next Scene is already written and will be posted tomorrow.


	15. Chapter 15

**Scenes From a Marriage**

**XI – Please Don't Break My Heart**

Jenny Sheppard felt a chill run through her and it didn't have anything to do with the temperature in the room. She did register somewhere in the far corner of her mind that she would ask Ducky why they kept the temperature so low in the ICU. Right now however all she could think about was the horrible, unbelievable trick the universe had played on her in the past twenty four hours.

Just yesterday afternoon she had given birth to a perfect, healthy baby boy. Jackson Donald Gibbs had weighed in at 7lbs 10ozs and was 20 inches long. He had his father's coloring and his mother's hair. He was the most perfect little person Jen had ever seen and it had literally taken her breath away when Jethro handed him to her for the first time. She had never been happier and she had never seen Jethro looking more pleased and proud. They were truly living a dream. Yesterday.

Today she was living a nightmare. While her son was just experiencing the first full day of his young life upstairs in the nursery, her beloved husband was, if you believed the whispers in the hallway, experiencing the last day of his life. Jen didn't believe the whispers. She wouldn't. She couldn't. Sitting in this ICU cubicle surrounded by machines, she refused to accept that Jethro was going to die. Just yesterday they had celebrated the most wonderful day of their lives together and she was not willing to give in to the idea that it would be their last celebration together as parents.

Jen held Jethro's hand and ran her fingers up and down his arm. She talked to him telling him that Jackson was doing fine and that she loved him and wanted him to come back to her. The machines beeped and hummed and Jethro didn't move a muscle or blink an eye. There was a tube down his throat and another one coming out of his left side. He was attached to so many IV's she could barely count them. For a man everyone seemed to think was dying Jethro was surely getting a lot of care at the moment. Jen stood up and leaned down to kiss his forehead gently. She whispered in his ear and stroked his face telling him how much she loved him and imploring him to fight his way back to her and their son. Touching him had always given Jen immense pleasure and reassurance but now his skin was cold and he was so unresponsive it terrified her. Still, she continued touching, holding and stroking where she could in the hope that he was somehow aware of her presence. She couldn't bear the thought that he didn't know she was there with him.

Finally she sat back down and let her mind float back to the early morning hours after Jackson's birth. They had both been asleep in her room with Jackson nearby in his bassinette when Jethro's phone went off. He was so exhausted from the excitement of the birth and all their celebrating with the team he barely woke up in time to answer it. How she wished he hadn't. It was DiNozzo calling about a particularly confusing and nasty crime scene he felt Jethro would want to see even under the circumstances. Jen remembered his murmured goodbye and his promise to return in a couple of hours with some real coffee. She had kissed him and then watched him kiss Jackson before he slipped out into the darkened hallway. Surely she kept telling herself, God would not be so cruel as to take her son's father away from him when he was barely a day old.

Jethro had indeed returned to the hospital in less than two hours but not with coffee. Instead he had come in through the emergency room with multiple gunshot wounds, suffering from massive blood loss and shock. The team had walked into an ambush and since Jethro was, as usual, in the lead he had taken the brunt of the attack. According to McGee's version of what happened the team had been pinned down for quite a while before their return fire silenced the attackers and they could get to Jethro and offer assistance. Fortunately Ducky was there and performed what first aid he could but it seemed that might not be enough this time. Ziva had suffered a minor wound and DiNozzo was hit in the shoulder but they were both patched up and now holding vigil in the waiting area along with McGee, Abby and Jimmy Palmer. Jen knew they were stricken by this development, especially Tony, but she didn't have the energy to comfort them right now.

Ducky walked into the room and stood next to Jen with his hand on her shoulder. She leaned into his side and allowed him to comfort her as best he could.

"I called Jethro's father. He's on his way." Ducky was concerned about Jen being here given how recently she had given birth but he knew there was no way she would ever leave Jethro's side.

"He's not going to die, Ducky. He can't."

Ducky spoke softly to her, "Jennifer, I don't know what to say to you. Jethro suffered massive blood loss at the scene and significant internal injuries. It's a miracle he's still here now. I know you don't want to hear this but his chances are slim at this point. I won't catalog all his injuries for you but suffice to say they are numerous and severe. You must try and prepare yourself for the fact that Jethro very likely will not survive this attack."

"No, Ducky. I won't accept that. Please don't ask me to." Jen fell into her friend's embrace and cried. Raising her head she said in a shaky voice, "this cannot be happening to us Ducky. Not now. Not when our dream had just come true. How will I ever be able to take Jethro's place in Jackson's life?"

Ducky held onto Jen but could offer her no real solace. He was almost as heartbroken as she was. Jethro was like a son to him and he was devastated at the thought of losing him. He watched the monitors that were gauging Jethro's status as a living person and he was not encouraged. Ducky knew Jethro was a fighter but he had spoken to the surgeons who worked on his friend and he knew this was a fight Jethro most likely did not have the ability to win. How sad he thought for that little boy upstairs to never know his father. Ducky recoiled at the idea that all Jackson would know about his father would be what he and others could tell him. He doubted he had the skill, even as good a storyteller as he was, to adequately describe Jethro to his son. How would he be able to impart to Jackson his father's courage and devotion to his country and his fierce, unerring love for the boy's dear mother. Ducky was sure he would never be able to put Jethro's sense of loyalty and honor into the proper terms. He began to pray that he wouldn't have to.

Suddenly, Jen looked at Ducky and said, "I want Jackson down here. Do you think they'll allow it?"

"I don't know. I'll go ask. What are you thinking Jennifer?"

"I want Jethro to have as much time with Jackson as possible. We both know Jethro will fight to survive and there is nothing on earth, including me, that he will fight harder for than his son. If everyone else is right and I'm wrong then I want Jackson to at least have some kind of experience of his father. Maybe it's crazy, Ducky, but I want them to be together. Please, make it happen."

"I will." Ducky left the room with tears in his eyes. With a heavy heart he approached the doctor he recognized as the one taking care of Jethro and told him of Jen's request. The doctor and the nurses conferred and after asking Ducky's opinion, they agreed it wouldn't hurt to allow the baby to be there. Without saying so out loud they all seemed to believe it was the least they could do for Jen under the circumstances. The doctor called up to the nursery and asked them to bring Jackson to the ICU.

A few minutes later a nurse wheeled the baby in his bassinette, through the waiting area and into the ICU. Jethro's team saw this and they all looked at each other with dread. None of them had the courage to say what they were thinking but each one had a sinking feeling that having the baby brought down wasn't a good sign.

The nurse maneuvered the bassinette into the room and managed to find enough space in the corner that it wouldn't be in the way. She took the baby out and handed him to Jen and smiled at her.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Gibbs. There is formula and anything else you will need on the cart. Just have someone call us when you want us to come get him."

"Thank you. I appreciate your help."

Jen looked down at her son who was sound asleep. Tears welled in her eyes but she fought them back. She cradled Jackson in one arm and held Jethro's hand with her free hand. She was exhausted but she didn't want to sleep in case Jethro woke up or…

She refused to think of what the other alternative was.

"Jackson, this is your daddy." Jen leaned closer and rested the baby on the side of the bed near Jethro's shoulder. "He is the best man I have ever known. He's funny and sweet and he was so excited to see you yesterday he could hardly stand it. Most people think he's grumpy but he's not really. He's very smart and he knows how to build just about anything. Someday I hope he teaches you how to build things. And how to play catch and kick a ball and swim and ride a horse and lots of other stuff. You need to know, Jackson, that your daddy loves you more than anything in this world. Some bad men hurt daddy and that's why he's sleeping now but he wants to wake up and see you. I know he's trying to get well so he can come home with us and read you stories and rock you to sleep and love you every single day."

Jen stopped talking and her tears finally fell, dripping onto the baby's blanket. Jackson began to fuss so she unwrapped him and changed his diaper. She gave him a bottle but he didn't want it. Jen rewrapped him the way the nurses did but he still wasn't settled. He began to fuss and cry no matter what Jen did for him. When nothing seemed to calm him, Jen cradled Jackson in one arm facing his daddy and put Jethro's big hand on his son's chest patting him softly. Almost instantly the baby quieted and began making soft contented sounds. Jen looked over at Ducky who was standing at the end of the bed and smiled through her tears. Soon Jackson was sound asleep and Jen resumed her hand holding vigil. She continued talking to Jethro, glancing frequently at the machines always hoping to see some improvement. She had been in enough hospital rooms to know what was good and what wasn't when it came to all these monitors.

The hours dragged on and the doctors and nurses came and went without any encouraging news. Jackson drank a bottle and went back to sleep in the bassinette. Jethro's father arrived and saw his grandson for the first time. His joy over his namesake's birth was tempered by the news that his only son was most likely dying. Jackson Gibbs was a practical, no nonsense sort of man. He and Jethro had been estranged for a few years but that ended when Jethro married Jen. She loved Jethro's father and would not stand for their relationship to remain so strained. Within the first year of their marriage she had encouraged Jethro to mend fences with his father and ever since then they had been very close. It rocked him to his core to see Jethro lying so still in this cold room. Holding his grandson he prayed fervently for God to spare his son one more time.

Jen took her eyes off Jethro to watch Ducky as he studied the monitors tracking Jethro's blood pressure and heart rate. She noted the concerned furrow of his brow and the very slight shake of his head.

"Tell me Ducky."

"His pressure and heart rate have dropped just a bit. Not good news I'm afraid."

Jen felt like her heart was going to shatter in her chest. Suddenly she felt as if she couldn't breath. She stood up and reached for Jackson, taking him from his grandfather's arms. She unwrapped him and took off his tiny shirt. Ducky watched as she turned back to Jethro's bed and pulled down the sheet that was covering his chest. What she did next brought tears back to his eyes and a smile to his lips.

Jen laid Jackson on his father's chest snuggling the baby's little head up next to his daddy's jaw. She situated the baby so he wasn't on any wires or bandages and laid Jethro's hand on his son's back. Then she laid her head next to Jethro's and put her hand on top of his.

"Jethro, please don't break my heart. Jackson needs you. I know you hurt and it's hard to fight but please don't leave him. Don't leave me, Jethro. I love you. We love you and we need you. Your son is everything you've ever wanted and everything you deserve. He is perfect and sweet and he needs his daddy. Can you feel him, Jethro? His little heart is right over yours. Do you feel his little breath? Don't let the darkness keep you. Jackson is your light Jethro, he's your future. You have to come back to him. Please don't break my heart, Jethro."

Jackson Donald Gibbs slept soundly on his daddy's chest for almost an hour that day.

Jackson was officially discharged from the hospital when he was three days old but he didn't leave. He stayed with his mom and dad in the ICU. After every feeding in the days following that first horrible day, Jen put him back on his daddy's chest, skin to skin, and he always slept contentedly for hours.

When Jack, as everyone including his mother, had taken to calling him, was five days old his daddy woke up.

When he was a month old his daddy went home.

Jack was a happy, healthy baby who ate and slept on a regular schedule despite his somewhat unorthodox first month of life. When he was fussy or didn't feel good for some reason the only thing that soothed him was lying on his daddy's chest. Against all the odds, Jethro had managed to survive his wounds but his recovery was long and painful. On those days when the pain seemed too much or he was frustrated by his inability to do something, the only thing that made him feel better was to have Jack lie on his chest and take a nap with him.

Jen stood in the doorway of the living room on one of those difficult days and watched her two boys sleeping in Jethro's favorite chair. She had definitely been replaced, at least for now, as the comforter, and she didn't mind one little bit. As much as she loved Jethro, and as much as she had talked to him and begged him to fight back, she knew in her heart it was Jack who had pulled Jethro back from the brink of death. No, she didn't mind at all that for now at least, Jack had taken her place as his daddy's preferred nap partner.

END

A/N: That's all for this series. I hope you've enjoyed at least most of these Scenes. Thanks for all your reviews and alerts.


End file.
